Incompatibly Compatible
by xXAonoNYmouSPXx
Summary: There's a fine line between love and hate, and even a finer line when it's someone who could actually understand you more than anyone else. Little did Mikasa knew that staying at a fraternity for a short amount of time would grant her that. CollegeAU! R&R! CURRENTLY BEING REVISED (Chapter 1).
1. Chapter 1

Levi knew that something was wrong the moment he neared the three-storey mansion of a fraternity house. Girls from their partnered sorority- _ΓΘΣE_ (Gamma Theta Sigma Epsilon) and their previous fraternity Sweethearts lined the sidewalk in front of the mother chapter's house, assisting the guys with carrying and organizing their stuff from the rush last week. He pulled over in front of the pavement that will lead him up to the house situated atop a small hill, and he was immediately recognized by his jet black Ducati and the bold VP letters emblazoned on the arm of his _ṦO∆R_ (Saker Omikron Delta Rho) jacket, his fellow brothers walked up and greeted him with brotherly hugs and pats on the back while the girls waved and greeted him- with some giving him flirtatious looks.

He returned their gestures with nods before twisting the handle bars and turning his bike towards the direction of the house. As he slowly made his way up the small hill, he took the liberty of observing his surroundings. If anything, it was all too good to be true. Some of the guys along with Erd and Gunther, raked the red, orange maple leaves that fell from the trees lining the property and onto the evenly trimmed front lawn. There was even that new kid Connie and some of the other guys mopping and wiping at the front porch. While Auruo and a few others washed the stone statue of a Saker falcon- decorated at the center of the fountain in front of the entrance that also displayed a plaque engraved with their house proverb.

" _Soar high with_ _ **The Wings of Freedom**_ _._

 _Fly high towards the endless blue sky that is one and only._

 _And let the shadow cast upon the journey."_

 _\- ṦO∆R, 1902_

He drove passed the parking lot and through the where one of his brothers kindly pulled up the door for him and parked at his space beside a couple of other motorcycles. Unclasping the strap of his helmet and pocketing his gloves, Levi hang his helmet on the hanger with a few others before making his way inside the house. As he exited the small hallway and peeked into the foyer, the scent of detergent and wax wafted through the air- exuding from the newly-polished mahogany furniture, marble floors, and leather chairs. He never thought he'd see the carpet look so clean without him washing it himself. For a measly second, he could've smiled but it immediately died as he scowled at the thought. Then he thought he was dreaming and if he pinched himself he would be back in the apartment he shared with his with foster siblings during the break. Yes, that must be it… except... it wasn't.

The walls were scrubbed, the floors were waxed, and even some of the flags, banners, and curtains were washed thoroughly and replaced with new ones. Seeing this setting wasn't much of a surprise since they have a general rule to keep the house clean, and conduct an all-out cleaning spree whenever a new semester starts. Though as much as it pleased him to find the members of his brotherhood, going about their way and actually do something productive- and hygienic (without him to actually order them around to clean their own filth), he just can't help but feel that something's off… _really_ _off_.

"I smell a rat," he cringed his nose just in time to see a brunette walk down the steps, two full garbage bags in each gloved hand.

"Oh Levi! You're here, welcome back!" he said, pulling down his mask to avoid obscuring his welcome of his senior. Levi only gave him a quizzical look.

What was this kid's name again? Ah right, Eren Jaeger. He was a freshman that just started last semester who dared and persisted in joining the ṦO∆R brotherhood. For what Levi could only say, is that he's an annoying brat- well, he always refers that to everyone. The boy just kept on popping in their frat house like a lost dog begging to be taken home.

Well, he can't blame him. Saker Omikron Delta Rho or ṦO∆R for short, is the top fraternity in the entire Trinity University. They have gained their reputation since its foundation and has housed some of the most prominent, respected, and top-notched men of international society since its wake. Their primary goal is to achieve excellence not only in academics but also in sports and arts, among other things. They even named hallways after successful brothers who had passed away, and dedicated a Legends Room filled to the brim with memorabilia and pictures of their praise-worthy brothers since its foundation up to date.

But of course, being an esteemed fraternity residing in the Rose sector of the university, means that they live up to their reputation. Meaning that becoming a member is not an easy task, even if they do not discriminate based on race and nationality, and that the mother chapter currently houses at least fifty brothers and not accounting those from the other chapters. Every year, hundreds are denied and cruelly rejected for their lack of determination- never mind the fame. _Saker Omikron Delta Rho is a brotherhood_. Not just a house full of college boys that give free golden tickets to fame.

Eren Jaeger however, was one of those rejects. ṦO∆R holds out a very strenuous recruitment process for PNMs (Potential New Member/s) that will test them mentally, physically, and psychologically, through the assortment of tasks given to them. The boy was nothing else but determined and passionate. He has no special talent, can barely lift weights and only has average grades- but he was not rejected by those trivial reasons. As per every Greek, ṦO∆R also has their own recruitment process. Even though he was rejected, he kept on persisting and it was only by some divine-intervention when Erwin, president of Saker Omikron Delta Rho, sent him a bid and accepted him in. But then again, the boy did prove his worth when he kicked them that last second goal against the Titans of New World University in the last soccer game of the season. Plus, he is a very loyal character.

Levi narrowed his eyes at the brunette's attire. His casual clothing covered by an apron, equipped with rubber gloves, a mask, and a hair clip keeping his bangs from falling to his eyes. He lightly flicked his head in acknowledgement from his greeting.

"Where's Erwin?"

"I think he's in the kitchen," Eren tilted his head towards the direction. "I'll just take these trashes out."

"Hn," was Levi's only response as he moved out of the way for him before making his way to the kitchen.

At the foyer, there was another statue of a Saker Falcon with its wings spread open in a position ready to swoop in and snatch an unsuspecting prey. With his closed fist, he lightly bumped his knuckles on the falcon's open claws as a greeting before doing the same as his other brothers came up to greet him. He passed by the chapter room where more of his brothers welcomed him as they set about rearranging the many sofas and tables, and pinning up new flags and oversized picture frames of their alumni from previous classes.

"Welcome back, Levi," came a booming voice that greeted him as he entered the dining hall before he was enveloped in a brotherly hug. Levi patted the old man's back awkwardly before they pulled away.

Darius Zackly, a retired navy Major that now dedicated his time back to the brotherhood and serve as their House Father. Mishaps and accidents are bound to happen every now and then, and it was his job to not only keep the mother chapter's house in check but to also supervise them and ensure that all the rules are being followed. He also served as an advisor for them when they needed.

"Your stuff's already in your room but before you unpack, you should go meet with Erwin. He needs to tell you something important," he informed.

Levi's eyes narrowed at the suspiciousness behind his words but nonetheless, he nodded his head and proceeded to the kitchen without another word.

"What the fuck?" Levi sneered, eyes narrowing like he's just witnessed something horrendous- which isn't entirely implausible.

He stared at his trusted friend and president, poorly scrubbing the kitchen sink while wearing the same attire Eren has on.

The blonde turned and greeted the newcomer, "Hey Levi, you're back just in time."

Levi scoffed, making his way towards the tiled counters and skimming his fingers under the edges. He clicked his tongue disapprovingly before cleaning his dirty fingers with wet wipes where he kept a packet in his pocket.

"How's Farlan and Isabel?" Erwin asked.

"They're fine," Levi replied in monotone, eyes shifting around the well-equipped kitchen and finding nothing much out of the ordinary. The countertops could use a little bit more shine though.

Farlan and Isabel are his foster siblings. Levi lived with his mother until she died when he was around eight. With a bastard father and no other relatives to take him in, he was eventually taken to a foster home where he met Farlan and Isabel- both abandoned by their parents. Luckily for them, they had a very nice caretaker who stood as their new mother. Unfortunately, none wanted to take them and give them new homes so when finally grew up, they moved from Paris to America where they decided continue their studies. Levi's foster siblings attended a different university and come together every semester break- and they'd often check on their foster mother to see how she's doing.

"You look like a spoiled brat being forced to do his chores," the raven crossed his arms and leaned his back on a granite counter.

"Is that a compliment?" Erwin cocked a brow at him before straightening his spine and smiling in satisfaction at his work. The kitchen sink looks sparkling new.

"No, it was an insult."

"I thought as much," the blonde only chuckled before going over to wipe the counter.

"What's going on here?" as usual, Levi doesn't beat around the bush as much. Especially when he knew that something feels really off. "This isn't exactly what you'd call a welcome party."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Well I think this is the best house welcome party I've ever had," he played along with a sarcastic tone of his own.

Erwin only laughed before finally giving his friend his full attention, "Unfortunately, Levi, this clean-up is not for you. Even though I know you'll be very pleased in seeing us finally do something like this without you telling us to," Levi rolled his half-lidded eyes before meeting the serious look on the frat's President, "we'll be having a guest"

"A guest?" he parroted, not sure if he heard him right.

"Yes, a guest," Levi squinted his eyes on him more, silently prodding him to continue. "A girl"

"A new Sweetheart?" he hoped, but knew that the probability is really low since they haven't held the event yet.

"No," Erwin answered, setting down the rag next to the sink and wash his hands before climbing up the countertop across from the raven Vice President. "She's not from the monthly inspection either. We've been asked to take this girl and let her stay in the frat house for at least an entire semester or two."

"Are we a dormitory? This is not a Day Care Center," he hissed between closed teeth, not liking this at all. "You know that this means we'll be breaking the rules. This fraternity made it clear about No Girls Allowed- except if she's the frat's Sweetheart."

"Of course I know that. It's my job of keeping those rules."

Levi crossed his arms over his chest, "But it seems that you'll be breaking those rules yourself."

Erwin threw him a glare. Even though he only knew the blonde for no more than a year, he already knews which buttons to push to get the blonde all riled up. Erwin Smith is a natural leader; he is a person fit for the high ranks and he doesn't like others questioning his authority since he holds full well the power he has with great responsibility. The blonde matched Levi's scowling mask until he eventually gave up, shaking his head- knowing that no one, not even him, can match the faces he makes head-on.

"Don't think I didn't refuse," he sighed. "It's not like I didn't fight about this. It was the director himself who asked."

Now that's something to make the ruthless engineer to widen his eyes a bit. The director? _The_ director? For all he knew, the director holds the highest authority in the entire university. Why would he ask them something like this? Things had become ugly when he took in the position considering that he is an older brother of the ṦO∆R brotherhood and was suspected of being biased, but that issue was over a long time ago. He did his job respectfully and he never used his power over the fraternity.

"Why?"

"I honestly don't understand it myself. I was surprised as well when he called me over in his office yesterday. He was once the president of ṦO∆R so he knows full well that it's against the rules of keeping- much less invite, a girl in the frat house. But apparently he's asking us this one favor for him as an older brother. I asked the rest of the Alumni board and they said that they're willing to grant him this favor."

"This girl… is she what? His legacy?"

"I don't think so," Erwin shook his head, "He said he'll owe us a big, personal favor if we let this girl stay. Something about complicated family matters on the girl's side. It was pretty vague but it was also a last minute decision for him. He promised that we'll just provide her room and board until she gets a place of her own."

Levi raised a delicate eyebrow, his features remained stoic and unimpressed. This just means there'll be more brats around. "What's so hard in finding her an apartment near campus? He could've also thrusted the problem to a sorority. That'll make it at least a little more sensible than asking us."

"I asked that too but he was against it. Said that she doesn't have anywhere to stay at the moment and you know he's not so corrupt to do something like that. He's pretty persistent. Besides, he said that one of our members is the girl's brother."

If only this girl turned into a boy, then she would've been a legacy and there'd be no need of this talk.

"Really now? Which one?" Levi asked, already cracking his knuckles

"As if I tell you," Erwin rolled his eyes, "You'll know who it is later anyway. I've already talked to the other guys about it and they were okay with it."

Levi shot him a glare at that. So he had the decency to tell him of the news himself but what was the point if he already told the guys about it?

"Because this isn't really a big of a threat to the brotherhood. The Alumni Board and even Sir Darius gave us their consent," Erwin answered as if he just read his mind. "Besides, if I tell you first, we'd be talking about this issue for weeks."

"Fine," Levi spat, his scowl deepening even more as he headed for the kitchen door. As much as he's still uncomfortable with the idea, it's not as if he could do anything about it anymore.

"I knew you'd come around," The blonde beamed at him with unabashed glee and watched his retreating back, no doubt he would go up to his room to take out his magic bag full of his arsenal of cleaning equipment.

.

Levi Ackerman nodded in satisfaction as he stood by the front door of the fraternity house. Now that the compulsive clean-freak of the brotherhood has returned, he's been barking orders from left to right. He had all the members in gear and has assigned each one a task, some in pairs. As much as it annoyed them, they knew better than to talk back to him. They learned long ago how frightening the short brother could be. Which was why he was elected as the Vice President in the first place. Plus, it was fun to see the uncanny president following orders from someone of lower than him- both in title and literally.

They may be brothers but no one really knew why the raven's such a clean-freak but they assumed that it was because he had a sort of OCD. By the time they finished, the sun was already dropping on the horizon and a beautiful blend of orange-red, to purple-midnight blue, painted the sky. Everyone gathered at the dining hall and slumped their tired backs, arms, and legs, on the chairs and tables, finally refreshed after a nice shower and feeling satisfied with themselves.

"Man I'm beat!" Jean let out an exhausted sigh (another new brother who was initiated along with Eren and Connie), propping his feet up on the long table to which Levi glared.

"Don't put your damn feet on the table we eat on, brat. Show some respect." Levi hissed and out of fear, Jean quickly retracted his feet and planted it firmly on the waxed, wooden floor. To which it gained him snickers and stifled chortles from the others. However Eren's stifled a laughter is what popped a vein on his forehead.

"What are you laughing at you damn prick?!" he shouted, grabbing the brunette by his shirt.

"I'm looking at him, you overgrown jackass!" Eren countered. Even though they're fraternity brothers now, they're still at each other's throats since their first meeting. Normally, such an act against another brother would get them into serious trouble but everyone had already grown used to it and their 'fights' were never really serious and never went outside of the usual bickering and unoriginal name calls. Even Levi had grown used to them but he tends to breaks them up when he finds them too noisy to bear. At least that's how they display their friendship. Also, they're roommates.

Before Jean could counter a comeback, the president entered the room.

"Nice to see you two miss each other," they both made gagging sounds that made the others laugh. Erwin clapped his hands to get their attention as he raised his voice, "Nice work today everyone! Unfortunately, our chef isn't back yet so I guess that means it's take-out for dinner!"

Shouts erupted in a chorus of suggestions, some agreeing and disagreeing while some debated over the other's preference of food. Erwin instructed their treasurer- Erd, to make a list and have someone help him make the call to order.

.

Levi rode on his black Ducati- a present given to him by a ṦO∆R Alumni upon his initiation, who also happened to sponsor his studies, and went out of the campus to pick up some books he ordered from the state library. Good thing his motorcycle's fast enough. He made it on time before they closed. When he was just finished securing the books on his bike, he could see a flash of red out in the darkness of an alley.

It's none of his business, but he could hear drunken laughter and snickers in the darkness. He clicked his tongue, he really should get back to campus but he wouldn't want to witness someone get robbed on his first day back in school. He's had enough of those when he lived in the slums of Paris as a child. Deciding to hell with it, he cautiously peeked inside.

There was a girl, cornered by at least five burly men. Their stench, a mixture of cigarettes and booze hit his nose and he made a face of disgust.

' _Great, a rape,_ ' he rolled his eyes. Just then, one of the men grabbed the girl's arm. He's no hero, in fact he survived through violence, but he could never stomach any atrocious act against women and children. When Levi was just about to step in, the man grabbing her arm already hit the wall beside him. His mind went blank for a moment as he processed what just happened. Unfortunately, the others suddenly came charging at the girl but in just ten seconds, two of them hit face-flat on the dirty pavement, another hit the opposite wall, and the other who was thrown in a dumpster.

Levi only stared. His façade expressionless but inside he was… _dare he say it_ , impressed. Her technique just now, it was too fast to be seen by normal eyes, was seem perfectly by _his_ eyes. Her stance was perfect, arms strong yet flexible, and her body moved in practiced rhythm within a confined room. It's obvious to say that the girl was quite familiar with Krav Maga. He snapped from his stupor when the girl moved forward, the street lamp giving him more of her visage.

She was tall, at least 10cm taller than him. She wore a pair of jeans and her cardigan and shirt underneath matched her black hair- which was loosely cut lik few centimeters down her shoulder- a lock of hair framed across her nose. The blood-red scarf fluttered lightly by the slight breeze but his eyes remained transfixed on her dead, dark gray eyes.

They stared at each other for a long moment before she broke their contact by moving forward and walk down the road, casually taking out her earphones from her pocket. Levi didn't move much from his position as he watched her walk away casually as if nothing happened.

Most of his thoughts wondered who she was. Girls attending self-defense classes are very common but it's rare to find someone who can actually perform what they learned. His phone buzzed and he clicked his tongue to see ' _Shitty Blonde_ ' on the caller ID. Deciding not to answer, knowing he's just asking where he is and if he won't hurry up, they're gonna eat his share of the food; Levi hopped on his bike, clasped his helmet in place, and sped off back to campus.

He made it just in time to see their hands launching on his young chow. He ate in silence as his mind continued to wander to the girl with dead eyes. Levi wouldn't call himself sympathetic, in fact he was deprived of a lot of things during the early years of his life. So it wasn't surprising that people gave him the impression of someone aloof, detached, and with a bit of anger management issues. He's heard worse. But that's only because he couldn't really relate to them. He didn't know the joy and nostalgia of childhood, the annoyance of sibling rivalry and overbearing parents- he didn't even knew what having a family felt like until he came to live with his foster family. They the closest to him as a family as he got.

Though he was deprived of what was common, he made up for knowing the most uncommon. And as much as he hated to pry, in fact he considered it overly uncharacteristic and beneath him to meddle in the lives of others, even if the probability of meeting them again is highly unlikely. Still, it didn't stop him from envisioning those eyes again. The same, sad eyes he knew all too well- eyes that resembled his sometime long ago. It was the look of someone who had lost greatly and was unsure of where to go.

Lost.

He never thought he see those eyes again.

 **SOAR (ṦO∆R)**

 **Saker Omikron Delta Rho**

* * *

 **I am not from America so I don't really know much about their college ways, especially since it's about fraternities but I'll do my best!**

 **Reviews and Criticisms are highly appreciated! Requests and suggestions are also welcome!**

 **I'll be updating in three days or every week so be sure to hit that subscribe button to know when's the next chap and tap those kudos if you love this story!**

 **Ciao~!**

 _ **Edited: [6/11/18] I am not part of any Greek so if you are, I apologize if I made any mistakes and corrections are highly appreciated.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_Once upon a time there was a happy little girl who lived with her mother and father on top a hill. Her mother would take her to their humble garden and teach her how to row, weed, seed, water, and harvest the plants. She would also teach the little girl how to sew and cook while her father would take her out to fish on the nearby lake and teach her about the trees and roots as they take a stroll in the forest._

 _Their days would go about normally; she would stay by her mother's side as she taught her daughter the technique of choosing the best ingredient with just a glance, and her father would come home with a fish or duck in hand. Later on that night she would help her mother prepare their dinner while their father gathered firewood. The small, happy family would sit on the wooden table of their wooden home where they would eat the delicious meal their daughter helped in making._

 _They loved their daughter and the little girl loved her parents very much._

 _Then on one fine morning, just after her mother told the happy little girl about how special the blood that runs through her veins, just when her father was about to leave to go hunting, there was a knock on the door._

 _The father opened but just as he was about to greet a good morning, the deafening sound of a gun echoed throughout the little wooden house. Time stood still. The happy little girl watched her father fall to his side, a mass of clear, red liquid began to pool underneath him- staining the waxed floor. Then she heard her mother scream- like the scream an animal would make when it feels trapped and in great danger._

 _She saw her mother grab the scissors that was lying on their table and launched it towards one of the three strangers. She watched her mother struggle as she shouted at her daughter to run._

 _Run…_

 _Run…_

 _Run…_

 _But the little girl was frozen in place. Then with her own two eyes, she saw the man whom her mother struggled to fight with, raise an axe and wedge the sharp blade on the point where her mother's neck and shoulder connected. She watched her mother fall to the floor beside her father, the pool of red liquid spreading._

 _After that, the girl was never happy anymore…_

* * *

"I'm sure that you have your entire luggage and that everything is in order?" said the middle aged man to the young woman by his side.

The two figures walked in long, silent corridor, basking at the rays of the morning sun that crept through the large, glass windows while listening to the silent chirps of the birds. The middle aged man stood regally; his back straight with his hands behind his back- emitting an aura of dominance fitting for his rank position. Beside him was a pretty young woman with coal-black hair; her back was also straight with her chin up in confidence.

The raven-head turned to him "Yes sir, I have them all delivered to the house"

"If you would've come earlier, then I'm certain you wouldn't have to worry about unpacking later"

She shook her head gently "I needed to take care of something first earlier this morning so I'm sorry for being late director. And please don't worry I can take care of my things later"

The man let out a low chuckle "It is no problem at all, my dear. I am glad that everything is settled on your part" he turned to her, eyes showing concern "But are you sure you wish to come to your classes right away? Today _is_ just the first day. Usually the real classes won't start till the third day and today and tomorrow is just for the students and teachers to settle in. Besides, I haven't finished touring you around the campus yet. This place is bigger than it looks you know"

She gave him a faint smile "No worries sir. I just wouldn't want to miss a day in school. I'm very honored to have you tour me around, director but I can familiarize myself around your extravagant academy while I make my way to my classes. I can take care of myself"

"Of course you can" he smiled at her in return.

"I would like to thank you again for what you've done for me, director. I'm really grateful"

He waved his hand "Tis but a small thing; it's the least I could do for my savior's daughter"

"But you answered my brother Eren's college fund. Now Mr. and Mrs. Jaeger wouldn't have to work so hard to pay our college tuition fees anymore"

"And I would've done the same for you if you hadn't gone and take the Trinity scholarship without my knowledge. You are a very bright girl. The Trinity scholarship is harder than the ones on board exams"

"Thank you but what you've done for Eren is more than enough"

"I wish I could've done more. I'm sorry if I couldn't find a more suitable place for you to stay here in the academy. I have spoken to the current president of ṦO∆R and he has agreed to my terms. Do not worry about the members. They may not look like it by they are very true to their pledge and I'm certain that they wouldn't harm you. But if they _do_ bother you, do not hesitate to come to me, alright?"

"You give me too much privilege, director. I promise I won't cause you trouble during my stay here"

"I know you won't, child"

"You've broken your brotherhood's law just for my sake. I could never know how to express my gratitude. What you've done is really- _way_ more than enough"

"It is no problem at all. I could never know how to repay my debt to your mother and father"

They stopped walking in front of big, wooden, double doors by the end of the hall.

"Well, this is as far as I can take you. Unfortunately I still have some business to take care of" she nodded "Do tell me once you've settled in and don't be afraid to come to me if you need anything" just as the director placed his hand on the handle, he turned to girl "Mikasa Ackerman, once you move out from this door, remember that a new path has been laid out before you. It is your choice to take the step or remain at where you are. Life is too short for you keep such a passive face; especially to a face as beautiful as yours. Live your life the way you want it Mikasa. Don't be afraid to be happy. You're not alone in this world"

The director opened the door for her "Good luck, Mikasa"

"Thank you, Mr. Karino" she dipped her head in a deep bow- a gesture of deep thanks in her hometown, before moving out of the door. She turned and gave him another bow- not as deep as before, and raised her head once she heard the soft click of the heavy door closing.

' _Life_ _ **is**_ _too short…_ ' she contemplated before rounding the chain that kept her from continuing down to the hall that is the straight path to the lobby, the 'No Trespassing' sign swung behind her as she walked.

* * *

Levi, with his hair dry- wearing a plain shirt, dark pants and his signature cravat, descended down the stairs and was immediately greeted by 'heys' and 'good mornings' to which he only nodded in response. They offered him breakfast, which were pancakes that they ordered from McDonalds but the black-haired only refused but he accepted the coffee.

"Where are you going so early in the morning?"

"I'm just going to get my registration form and class schedule" Levi sipped on the brew "If the number of enrollees and transferees have increased just like you said, then I wouldn't want to waste my damn time waiting in line"

His squinted eyes took notice of Erd and Gunther taking a few boxes up and down the stairs. He suspected that it was that girl's stuff but he doubted because the amount was too small in number- that was until Erwin clarified it for him.

"It looks more like she'll be having a vacation" Levi commented "Are you sure she's going to stay for a year or two?"

"I thought it was just some of it" Erwin took a sip from his own coffee "But apparently that's all that was delivered here. I honestly expected more though" he shrugged his shoulders

"Well where is she?"

Erwin swallowed his pancake "I think she'll be here later. The director said she wanted to familiarize and see her classes first before coming here and- what are you doing?"

Levi only raised a brow at Erwin's own raised brow. Apparently, Levi took a piece of bread, folded it and dipped a portion of it in his coffee. He stared at the blonde like 'what's the big deal?' before taking a bite of the bread- that colored slightly in brown before speaking.

"It's something I learned from Farlan" he shrugged his shoulders "said he has a friend and taught him something like this. I think it's a thing in the Philippines" he dipped his bread and bit it again.

Erwin continued to look at him unsurely "Ohh… aaaand what does it taste like?"

Levi glanced at what's left on his bread "bread dipped in coffee?"

The blonde rolled his eyes "Really captain obvious? I never thought of that"

The French shrugged his shoulder again "it tastes fine to me" he popped the last piece in his mouth before standing up and down his coffee "I gotta go"

"Yeah" Erwin nodded "Oh hey Levi! Be sure to come back at least around or after lunch. We still need to discuss tomorrow's party"

Levi clicked his tongue and frowned disapprovingly "Do I have to come?"

"You're the vice-president of this fraternity and it's _our_ turn to host the welcome party for the freshmen. Unless you want me to call Hanji to help out instead"

A chill ran down his spine at the dreaded thought. Nothing good ever came as long as that damn four eyes is around. Levi groaned.

"Fine, later guys"

"Later!"

"See ya Levi!"

* * *

"CATCH THEM! CATCH THEM! SOMEBODY CATCH THEM! DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY!"

Piercing shouts echoed throughout the corridor as people turned their heads to the source of the noise- which was a woman in a lab coat chasing down three frogs, her arms secured around a glass box on her chest. The students stepped aside and the girls shrieked in fright at the large bullfrogs leaping away from the mad woman.

Mikasa however, just stopped in her tracks. She kneeled down and opened her palms as the fastest of the frogs leapt dead-center on her palms. She noted how heavy it was until she looked up and saw the woman practically skidding down and successfully scoops another.

"GOT YA!" she smiled triumphantly, lifting the frog in the air. The woman turned out to be a brunette wearing goggles over her eyes. When she saw Mikasa, she smiled widely at her "Hey there!"

"I caught your frog" Mikasa said in monotone, forwarding her arms.

"Oh yes! Thank you very much!" the brown-haired squealed and took the frog from her "Now I think there's anoooooother one left" she said as she comically moved from side to side to find the biggest leaper that escaped her.

"He's up here" she looked up and followed the younger girl's gray eyes moving up to find the bullfrog sitting atop her head. It croaked.

The woman suddenly began to holler loudly, an arm holding her stomach while her other made sure not to drop the glass case. Her laughter is getting too loud for Mikasa's taste as a vein popped on her forehead. Does she really find this funny? Just as she was about to get her attention again, the brunette seemed to have already calmed down- wiping a tear from a corner of her eye.

"So sorry about that" she grinned, trying to regain her breath "It was just so funny that it looked like it came from a scene in an anime!" Mikasa sighed "Well, I'll be taking him now" she said as she placed the last one on her glass case. "Thank you again for catching them for me and I'm sorry I laughed at you… again" she tried to control another round of her laughter before adding "Oh! Don't worry about your hair though. These guys are clean, I promise"

Mikasa merely nodded her head. When the woman was just about to turn and leave, the raven-haired tapped her shoulder.

"Excuse me, but do you know where the registrar is?"

"Oh so you're a newbie! Well the registrar is that way" she pointed. "Hey why don't you tag along with me? I gotta get these guys back to the lab and the registrar's in the same direction"

The raven-haired nodded meekly followed by a soft "Thank you"

Now that the frog fiasco is done, the students returned to doing their own business. Even though they've only been walking for a minute or so, their walk remains silent as Mikasa kept her eyes on the path- making the woman beside her uneasy.

"So, you a freshman?" she asked, which caught Mikasa in a slight surprise.

"No" she spoke softly "I transferred"

"I see" sensing that the girl won't talk any more than that; she pressed on "Where did you used to go before coming here?"

Mikasa grumbled, making sure that it wasn't that audible so as to not offend the brunette. She must be the type who can't last a minute without talking. Not wanting to be rude, she decided to humor the girl- she wouldn't want to offend anyone on her first day of school because of her lack of socializing skills.

"Yggdrasil University" now it was the brunette's turn to be surprised. For what she knows, Yggdrasil University was once a major and competitive college but for the last few years it's been losing its reputation, going bankrupt with decreasing enrollees every year thanks to New World University. And as far as everyone knows, NWU is the top rival university of Trinity Academy mainly because of their rival sports teams in games. The Titans vs. The Scouting Legion (or The Scouts)

"Interesting" the brunette finally analyzed her silent companion "You Asian?"

"Half" Mikasa nodded "My father half-American, half-German while my mother is Japanese"

"Wow! No offense, but you have very good English. You don't sound like you have a foreign accent at all. Do you speak Japanese? Or German?"

Mikasa lightly shook her head "A little of both. I'm out of practice. I've lived here in America for a long time"

"That's so cool!" she squealed and they stopped once they were out of the hall and now into a large lobby "Well, the registrar's over there" she pointed "It's still early so there's not much people yet- oh I know! Why don't you come with me to the lab and drop these babies off?" she indicated the frogs

Though its nice meeting new people, Mikasa would like to follow the schedule she made for today. She's already late enough when she met with the director earlier and it would be embarrassing if she would come later to her classes- not to mention she still has to meet with the members of the fraternity house she's going to stay in. She was supposed to meet them this morning but because of the morning traffic after visiting the Jaegers- she wouldn't want her plan to go astray any further.

She shook her head "No thank you"

"Oh come on!" she whined "The line's not that long yet anyway"

"But it might be later" Mikasa adjusted her scarf "Thank you for showing me the way but I have to go. I wouldn't want to wait in line for too long. I still have some businesses to attend to"

"Oh, well, okay then. See ya around" the brunette waved in defeat and Mikasa only bowed, making her way behind the person on the last line.

* * *

The brunette watched the girl. When she finally stopped at the end of the line, she mentally slapped herself. Stupid. If she didn't have these damn frogs then she would've loaded the girl with questions. A quiet, mysterious, three-part transferee formerly from Yggdrasil University. Now that's something you don't see every day and damn it the girl's quiet aura is so intriguing- and awfully familiar.

Determined to know more about her- it'll be a perfect article for the school paper and yearbook; she sped off to the opposite hall leading to the laboratory. Dropping off the bullfrogs, she raced back to the lobby with a pen, paper, and camera in hand.

' _Now where could she be?_ ' she looked all around but there was no sign of the mysterious girl ' _Don't tell me she's already finished?! Does that mean I didn't run fast enough?!_ ' she continued looking behind potted plants, under the lounge chairs, behind people's backs (which freaked them out) but to no luck at all. She sighed in defeat and perked as if a light bulb lit atop her head ' _Could she be a ghost?!_ ' she mentally shouted, immediately writing down her theory ' _This is perfect! This will definitely be added to the mysteries of this school_ '

As she continued scribbling down her notes, her attention was immediately caught by a short, black-haired young man with piercing blue eyes wearing a cravat. She launched.

"LLLEEEVVVIII!" the man flinched and stepped out of the way just in time before the brunette could wrap her arms around his head- making her fall face first on the cold floor.

Levi pinched the bridge of his nose, wishing to disappear. He turned and glared at the eyes looking their way and they immediately snapped their attention away from them. Levi sighed in frustration as the woman finally got to her feet, smiling like an idiot like she just wasn't embarrassed in front of a lot of people.

"Levi!" she flapped her arms and buzzed around him like a fly to a flame.

"I don't know you"

"Aw come on! Don't be such as sour-puss on the first day! So how are you? When did you get back? Did you meet with Farlan and Isabel during the break? Did you bring anything for me? Is Erwin back? How are the boys? What's your class schedule? Did you meet a nice girl during the break? It's your frat's turn in hosting the welcome party right? Can I help?! I could set you up with someone unless you have a new girlfriend but that's impossible! Did you finally get laid-"

The brunette was cut short when a hand- unusually big and strong, gripped her face and lifted her a few centimeters off the ground. With her face covered by a rough hand, she could only hear a growl that sounded almost inhuman. If looks could kill, she would've been dead by the frightening scowl painted on Levi's face. He could feel a headache starting.

"If you don't fucking shut up then I will rip out your vocal cords and feed them to the guard dogs but not before I skin you alive and turn it into a bag and I'll also pull all your hair out with my own hands and use it as a mop to clean the fucking bathroom toilets. Are we clear, Hanji?" she should be really glad she couldn't see his face right now.

"Y-Yes, clear as day Levi" she mumbled "Can you l-let go now? I c-c-can't breathe"

Tempted, Levi decided to let go and the brunette flopped down on the floor on her bum. She looked up to him and smiled again.

"Nice to have you back Levi"

If you've been here in the university since three years ago, then you would probably hear the name Hanji Zoe. She's been known as the research freak, being- shockingly- the head of the science department for the last three years, the top researcher of the newspaper club, an editor for the university year book and the eccentric friend of the current president and vice-president of the top fraternity on campus.

Everybody- save for the current freshmen and transferees who still yet to know her- knows Hanji and she in turn knows, if not all, most of the entire academy's population. Despite her unusual ways she is pretty smart in the field of science and other girls are often jealous of her because of her friendship with Erwin and Levi.

Levi knew Hanji for as long as he knew Erwin and though he admits that her knowledge is pretty handy, her weird personality can be- alright, _very_ annoying, she's a good friend.

"Hn" was Levi's only reply. He decided to humor her "I just got back yesterday"

"Really?! Man I wish I could've come earlier. I just came back last night ya see"

"You should've. You could've seen Erwin wearing an apron" he snickered as her jaw drops.

"NO WAY?! You could've at least shot a photo of him for me?!"

"I don't take pictures and besides, that's your job"

"I am sooo regretting on going to that convention! Now I missed a phenomenon that only happens once every thousand years!"

"Not my problem" he rolled his eyes and stepped forward, clicking his tongue at the new faces around and the increasing number of people coming in the lobby "Tch, great, new batches of brats"

"Speaking of transferees!" Hanji skidded in front of him "I met this new girl. Said she came from Yggdrasil University. She helped me catch my frogs when they escaped from their cages. She's really quiet but she seems nice! She's part German, American and Japanese! That's so cool! You don't meet people like her every day! I find her super interesting! I was about to ask more about her but I lost her"

Levi rolled his eyes "Hanji, who you meet doesn't concern me and get out of my way. The line's getting longer and I wouldn't want to wait for long" he raised a brow when he noticed his companion fall silent with her eyes wide "What?"

"Nothing… its just… what you said is kinda like what she said earlier"

"Who?"

Hanji decided to shake her head. It could be just a coincidence. "Nothing, never mind"

He stopped at the end of the line, crossing his arms "But you have to agree that she seems interesting right? She has this whole mysterious vibe kinda like your I'll-kill-you-if-you-look-at-me vibe"

"What bullshit are you talking about?" Levi inwardly smiled at the fast pace of the line "Anyway, shouldn't you be looking for this mystery girl of yours?"

"Yeah but-" Hanji broke off as her phone rang. "Hello?" she answered "OH MY GOSH! I totally forgot! See ya later Levi!" she waved at Levi as she sped off back to the laboratory- not even telling what just happened.

Well, he doesn't care anyway.

It was finally Levi's turn as he approached the woman behind the glass.

"Yes?" she asked

Levi took out a receipt from his pocket and slipped it inside the glass "Ackerman. My registration form and class schedule"

She nodded and after a few clicks and the mechanical sound of the printer, she slipped it back to him. However, Levi frowned.

"Excuse me, this is not mine. I meant Levi Ackerman" he slipped it back and the woman widened her eyes at the mistake. She quickly apologized and Levi only tapped his foot as he thought of this simple mistake. As far as he's known, Ackerman is a very rare name as for the last three years he's only ever need to tell his last name. In fact, he has the fastest and easiest access when it comes to his documents because of his rare name.

"Just to clarify, you are Mr. Levi Ackerman and not Mikasa Ackerman, right?" Levi snorted but he nodded "Then these are yours" she slipped the papers and Levi nodded again at the correct name written on the form.

Just as he was about to leave, a voice interjected his ears.

"Yes?"

"I'd like to have my registration form and class schedule please. My name is Mikasa Ackerman"

Turning to his left, his eyes widened by a fraction at the young woman standing by his right. It was the girl he saw last night who beat up those five drunkards. He couldn't be mistaken because that ratted, red scarf of her was a dead giveaway and he could never mistake those dead eyes.

"Oh! Then this is yours then" he saw the woman pass the papers to her co-worker and in turn, gave it to Mikasa. By that time, Mikasa also turned her gaze to the person on her left. She too, had her eyes widen by a fraction as she stared back at those piercing blue eyes… blue… blue… icy, cold blue.

"Ms. Ackerman, here's an orientation package and if you could just step into that room you could have your picture taken for your student ID"

That snapped the two from their stare- which felt like an eternity, drowning in the abyss of each other's orbs. Mikasa turned and nodded at the man before her.

"Yes, thank you" she spoke softly, so soft it echoed in his ears.

Mikasa took one last look at him before stepping away to take her picture. Levi didn't realize how long he's been standing there as he continued to follow at the girl's retreating back when he felt a tap on his shoulder- telling him that he's keeping the line.

* * *

"What's with you?"

Levi turned his bored expression to his blonde friend. They were in the kitchen preparing snacks while they brainstorm about what they should do for the welcome party tomorrow. Erwin's taking out bags of chips while Levi prepares some iced tea. Since Levi came back, Erwin can't help but notice that Levi's seems dazed. Though the others don't notice, Levi is a character that's very hard to read and even Erwin admits that it's not easy to tell what he's thinking despite all the years he's known him.

He puts up a strong mask.

"What- what's with me?" Levi paused at stirring the pitcher.

Erwin huffed and crossed his arms "You're dazed. You're only like that when you're strategizing for the games or if Hanji said something that really got your interest and as far as I can tell, you have no games yet this semester"

"I did meet Hanji earlier" he continues stirring the drink

"And?" Erwin quirked a brow

Levi snapped "And _nothing_ "

The blonde was about to say something when they heard a crash, followed by shouting in the living room. Taking the snacks, the two returned to see the couch turned over, with Jean and Eren at each other's throats, Connie trying to break them up, Oruo biting his tongue, and Erd and Gunther picking back up the other overthrown furniture.

"What is going on here you pieces of shit?!" Levi snapped, more concerned about the mess they made instead of the two who's ready to kill each other.

"This son of a bitch called me a horse!"

"It suits you just fine you dick!"

"Eren!"

"He kept on kicking me while Erwin was explaining! I can't take it anymore!"

 _ **Ding Dong**_

"Get your damn feet off the table!"

"You wanna have a go, you ass?!"

"Just don't go crying to your mommy after I kick _your_ ass Jean-boy!"

"Why you-"

 _ **Ding Dong**_

"Guys please, break it up"

"Hey you brats! Stop-!"

"I'm surprised your tongue is still attached to you Oruo"

"Not helping Erd!"

 _ **Ding Dong**_

"Would you all just shut up?!"

"Not until he apologizes!"

"ME?! He should apologize first!"

"I'm gonna kill you!"

"Not if I kill you first!"

"I'll kill both you if you don't fucking shut up! And somebody get the _**fucking door!**_ "

Gunther was about to get the door as the chaos continues but as he was just under the archway, he stopped.

"Uhh… guys?"

Everyone stopped and all eyes turned to a girl with coal-black hair wearing a red scarf. She looked from side to side, unsure of what to say or do. There was a pregnant pause that lasted for a few heartbeats until she broke the silence.

"Uhmm… this _is_ the ṦO∆R fraternity house, right?"

 **SOAR (ṦO∆R)**

 **Saker Omni Delta Rho**

* * *

 **I made a spelling error on the guy who keeps biting his tongue. It should be "Oruo" not "Auruo" hehe no wonder I'm so confused**

 **I'll be updating IN THREE DAYS OR EVERY WEEK so be sure to hit that FOLLOW button to know when's the next chap and put this in your FAVORITES if you love this story!**

 **Comments, Reviews and Criticisms are highly appreciated! Requests and suggestions are also welcome!**

 **Ciao~!**


	3. Chapter 3

Just a second ago everyone was in chaos and then suddenly, everything and everyone was primed and proper. One head was bowed in shame with fists threatening to tear the jeans out of jealousy, three were assessing, one smiled friendly, one stared, the lucky one looks nervous, and the last one rubbed his temples to ease a forming migraine.

The other however, just sipped on her iced tea, unsure of what to say as a hand gently caressed brown hair. She settled down her glass and it caught everyone's attention.

"Well…" Erwin cleared his throat; breaking the awkward silence "This isn't how I pictured your welcome" he turned to the stoic girl "I thought you will be coming later. I was planning on giving you a house welcome after all"

"You don't have to" she shook her head "I've already seen where my classrooms will be and the professors have logged my registration in their class so I'm finished for today. I don't know how to contact you so I'm sorry I couldn't even send a message"

"It's alright. I'm just glad you didn't lose your way coming here"

"Your fraternity is pretty famous. It's not that hard"

He nodded and there was that awkward silence again. She sipped on her iced tea and that's when their eyes finally meet again for the third time.

Levi stared back at her as his mind replayed what just happened moments ago.

Jean and Eren was about to start a brawl until a girl came by, asking if this is really the Saker Omni Delta Rho's fraternity house. There was a moment of silence until the new kid Eren shouted. He rushed to her and she welcomed him with a small smile and open arms. They stayed at each other's embrace until the brunette let go then proceeded saying things like 'what are you doing here?', 'how are you?', and 'I'm so happy to see you'.

He could remember that smile on her face as she answered the boy but Levi's trained eyes told him that her eyes didn't match her smile. Though there's a faint spark, her eyes remain the same as he first saw them.

 _ **Dead**_

Levi could only stare and by the way she stares back at him, he knows that she recognizes him too. This is the third time they've crossed paths after all. Now that everything's settled down, the members of ṦO∆R sat on their respective seats as they stared at the coal-haired girl drink her iced tea and caress occasionally the brown locks of one of their new members with mild envy, as he sat on the floor between her legs.

"I'm sorry" they all snapped "Let me introduce myself. My name is Mikasa Ackerman, Eren Jaeger's sister. Nice to meet you"

At the mention of her name, six pairs of eyes travelled to the short man who remains impassive, then to Eren, until it turned back to Mikasa, before looking back again on Levi. It almost looks comical.

"Wait, if you're Eren's sister… then doesn't that make you a…" Erd voiced everyone's confusion.

"A Jaeger?" she answered "No, his parents took me in. Eren and I are not blood related"

"So she's the sister you were talking about Eren?" Connie snapped his fingers and Eren gave him a thumbs up.

"Fuck! You have the same last name as-" Oruo bit his tongue, stopping him from completing his sentence.

"So does that mean…?" they all looked at their vice-president, who leaned back on his couch, crossing his arms.

"As far as I know, I don't have any relatives. My mother and the _bastard,_ don't have any siblings" they all nodded, knowing who 'the bastard' he's referring to and they turned to Mikasa, silently asking her.

As if she understood exactly who they're referring to, she shook her head "My father is an only child too"

They all nodded in unison. Didn't it even occur to them that she just knew who they're talking about?

Erwin clasped his hands together, completely breaking this awkward situation.

"Well now that everything's clear, my name is Erwin Smith, president of Saker Omni Delta Rho and let me introduce you to my brothers. This is Oruo Bozado, Erd Jinn, and Gunther Schultz" he pointed and they waved and smiled at her, giving her 'heys' and 'hi's' to which she nodded in response. "and these are our new members, you obviously know Eren Jaeger" Eren looked up and smiled at his sister who in turn smiled back at him and kiss his forehead- earning jealous stares from the others. The corner of Levi's right eye twitched "this is Connie Springer, Jean Kirstein" Connie gave her a big smile and Jean blushed a bit before giving her a 'yo' (to which she inwardly rolled her eyes) "And lastly, this is…"

"Levi" Mikasa answered "Levi Ackerman, right?"

He nodded; his face remained unchanging " _Enchanté_ Mikasa"

Mikasa nodded in return.

By now, everyone's eyes were wide as saucers- including Erwin's, at what just happened in their small exchange. Now _that_ is unusual. For one, not only does Mikasa know Levi but Levi knows her too?! And another thing! Levi just said something _French_! And as far as everyone knows, Levi **never** speaks French unless he's _**really, really impressed**_ at something or if he finds something _**really, really, interesting**_ \- which to everyone's agreement, is something that only happens once every millennia.

Guess Levi doesn't even realize he greeted her in his native tongue.

"Whoa! Hold up! You guys know each other?" Eren jumped at stared between his sister and senior.

Mikasa looked at him before turning to Levi "Kind of"

"The registrar switched our registration forms earlier" Levi answered

"So you guys met earlier?"

"And last night" Mikasa added

"LAST NIGHT?!" Eren voiced, adding more shocks to his fellow frat members "Did something happen?" he asked her, voice lacing with concern.

When Levi was going to answer, he caught Mikasa's gaze at him and even though it was unnoticeable, he noted how she lowered her eyelids oh so slightly and got the message.

"After I went to get my stuff, she went inside the state library" he shrugged "We just passed by each other"

Eren nodded along with everyone. It seems that they fell for it… well, not everyone, except for a blonde who also caught Mikasa's hidden message but decided to not speak of it. To prevent another awkward situation, Erwin stood up and turned to Mikasa.

"Now that you've known everyone, why don't you go to your room? You can start settling in and maybe take a nap hmm? You must be tired"

"Yeah! Come on Mikasa, I'll show you to your room!" Mikasa nodded and then stood to stand by Eren's side, to which the others also stood up and watched. When they were under the archway, Mikasa turned and bowed her head deeply.

"It's nice meeting all of you" she said

Connie, being familiar with her gesture- courtesy of watching anime, also bowed his head "It's nice to meet you too!"

Mikasa gave them a small smile before following her brother up the stairs.

* * *

"Here's your room, Mikasa" Eren smiled as he opened the door for her.

She went inside and took in her surroundings. Her room isn't small but it wasn't big either, it's perfect for one person. There's an empty bed on the corner, a wooden study table under a window with white drapes, a cabinet propped on the right just beside another window, there's also another door to the opposite wall- which she opened to see a decent bathroom; lastly, her luggage and boxes were piled neatly on the beige carpet at the center of the room.

"Sorry but this is the best room we could give you" he scratched his head, taking the liberty of sitting on the white mattress of her bed.

His sister shook her head "No, this place is nice" Mikasa started with kneeling in front of one of the boxes, opening it to see thick books of various subjects.

For a while, Eren just stared at her as she started removing the heavy books out of the boxes; fighting with himself whether or not he should voice out this question that's been nagging at the back of his mind.

"So Mikasa," he started "What are you doing here, really?"

At that, Mikasa stopped and Eren bit his tongue- wishing that he'd take it back. It's not that he doesn't want to see her, no, he's very happy to have her here. For the first part of his childhood, there was only him and Armin.

Armin Arlert was their next door neighbor who lived with only his grandfather. They are the complete opposite with one another; while he's the kid that always gets into trouble- always picking up fights here and there, Armin was the shy, quiet kid who doesn't know how to stand up for himself and thus, always being the favorite to be bullied. At first, they didn't like each other for Armin didn't like Eren's abrasive nature and Eren thinks Armin's too weak and too much of a nerd. They'd rather stay out of each other's paths as much as possible. That was until Eren saved Armin from bullies on his way home- never mind the fact that he was outnumbered and got more damage than them. On the following day, Armin saved Eren from flunking a pop quiz- on a subject he's on the verge of failing, by slipping him the answers on a piece of paper.

That's how their friendship started. Eren would help Armin conquer his fears while Armin tutors Eren for school. Needless to say, they were each other's first and best friends.

Then two became three when Eren and his family went to Japan for a vacation when he was nine years old. He and his father, Grisha Jaeger, went off to visit his father's friend in their summer home- which looked like an ordinary house, when they arrived at what seemed to be a murderous scene. Blood, hardened with time, pooled the wooden floor along with splinters and broken wood littering the floor.

They fled from the scene just in time to witness three men enter the house. His father immediately called for the police and what happened after that was a blur for Eren. He was too young to remember everything but he could never forget the moment he went up to the second floor of that room where he discovered a girl as the same age as his, her hair disheveled, ugly purple and blue circles staining her alabaster skin, and hollow cheekbones- evident that she hasn't ate for weeks. She was panting and sweating at the same time with a blooded knife secured between two shaking hands along with two dead bodies of men by her feet.

Her name was Mikasa Ackerman.

Since that fateful day, his parents took Mikasa in and treated her as their own- having been innocent by self-defense, and with his parents not wanting to see her go to an orphanage or foster home. His parents took care of everything and nursed Mikasa to health.

For a long while Eren never understood. He never tried having a conversation with her or at least ask how she feels- heck he didn't even offered his share of the food even though he knows that she must be starving. He just couldn't understand and his young, simple mind told him to not get involve.

But despite his parents' many attempts, it was Eren who brought back that life inside her.

 **~0~**

 _The time when fall was about to come to an end and winter is approaching at a rapid pace. Eren and Mikasa were left alone in the house and they were just relaxing by the balcony. He would spare a glance at her from time to time, noting that she hasn't moved much and just stood there like a statue._

" _It's cold…" her voice was soft and it melted in the breeze but Eren caught it in his ears and he nearly fell from his seat. "I feel cold…" she repeated._

 _Eren was skeptic for a moment. How could she be cold if she's wearing a thick coat with those gloves on? If it were him, he'd be sweating like a pig. He was going to ignore her until he saw those gray orbs and he was completely lost._

 _They were… gray… so… so dull gray… like the eyes of fishes, pigs and chickens being sold in the marketplace… they were dead._

 _His mind screamed at him to ignore her but he found himself approaching her and lazily wrapped her red scarf around her head. She saw her startled expression as she gazed up at him in confusion. Eren only huffed before saying,_

" _Here" he said, crossing his arms "If you feel cold, you can use my scarf"_

 _Then something happened he wasn't prepared for. His eyes went wide when he looked back at the girl. She finally snapped. She was crying… hard; so hard she didn't even bother wiping her eyes._

" _Thank you… t-thank you" she managed to say between sobs._

 _Eren scratched his head, not knowing what to do "Just give it back when you don't feel cold anymore" she nodded but her tears continued to streak down her cheeks "Dammit stop crying already"_

 **~0~**

From then on, Mikasa finally opened up to the Jaegers and accepted them as her new family. She eventually met Armin when they returned and Armin was honestly afraid of her cold demeanor. But that was easily brushed off when she took care of him when he was sick. Despite them being at the same age, Mikasa evidently acts more mature compared to them but she eventually cracks when something happened to Eren.

She wouldn't hesitate kicking the crap out of anyone - which she turned out to be amazing in. At a young age, she was notorious of fighting those five times bigger than her and her protective instincts towards her only two friends- especially to Eren, that they would scamper away at the mere sight of her.

For a long time it was only him, Armin and Mikasa.

The girl had made her own vow of protecting Eren. Her overprotectiveness became like an obsession to the point that Eren feels suffocated. Eren, being the strong-willed person that he is, confronted Mikasa about it when he's had enough-and after a long, long, long talk about it, accompanied with tears, embraces, and lots of apologizing and promises; Mikasa finally rid of herself of being his mother hen.

Though it took a lot of time for her- mostly throughout senior high; Eren finally felt his freedom at the start of their first year in college.

The trio originally planned on going to Trinity Academy together but Armin was given a scholarship in Harvard University and he just couldn't pass up such an opportunity especially since it brought joy to his grandfather- his only family member- something Eren and Mikasa understood. Shockingly however, it was Mikasa who decided to change her plans and not go with Eren to Trinity Academy. Much to Eren's complaint and confusion, Mikasa could easily get a scholarship there and perform even better than him so why would she choose to go to Yggdrasil University?

Which leads us back to the present; for a few moments, the question lied hung in the air until Mikasa turned to her adoptive brother.

"I got the Trinity scholarship"

"Oh cool-wait, what?! REALLY?!" he exclaimed "Mikasa that's amazing!"

"Yeah" was her only response as she continued unboxing her stuff

"Man that explains a lot! No wonder the director wanted to make sure you have someplace to stay here in the academy" he beamed "Mikasa that's so amazing! Don't you know that only five out of a hundred people can have a chance to get that scholarship? That's so cool!" Mikasa only smiled at her brother, happy to see him be overjoyed by her news (even though it's only partially true) "But still, if you planned on taking it you could've at least said something to me. Why'd you move here from YU anyway? Not that I mind, I'm happy that you're here" he shrugged "Just curious"

"The…" she trailed for a bit "University doesn't have enough funds for all its students anymore"

"Ohh" Eren crestfallen "Yeah I heard that YU isn't going well. But still you could've said something! I had no idea that the girl moving in was you of all people!"

"Surprise" she smiled

"So… how was your trip? Armin was a bit sad without ya. It's our first vacation without you after all"

Mikasa's smile faded. Yes, since they've entered separate colleges, the only time they could see each other is during vacations or the occasional video calls. Eren's right, this is the first time the trio isn't complete in their reunion. Unfortunately Mikasa had to go to Japan for… personal reasons. She even left without as much as a goodbye to her friends. The only ones who knew her departure and informed Eren and Armin about it were Mr. and Mrs. Jaeger.

"It was fine" she said in monotone "I just had to take care of some unfinished business"

"Alright" he nodded and stood "Do you need help in unpacking?"

Mikasa shook her head "Thank you but I can manage"

"Okay" by now they were facing each other and they just couldn't help but fall in each other's arms. "I missed you, sis"

"I missed you too Eren"

They stayed in that embrace for a while until he finally broke apart with Mikasa playfully ruffling his brown hair "Hey stop that!" Mikasa only smiled further as Eren approached the door "You sure you don't need any help?"

She nodded "Yes, thank you"

"Okay, I better go back downstairs. Call me if you need anything!" he waved and closed her door before rejoining with his brothers.

' _Eren… he seems to have gotten matu-_ 'she shook her head with a smile ' _No, he's still the same. I'm just glad he's happy. Maybe letting him go wasn't a bad choice after all_ ' she turned back to her luggage and stretched her arms ' _Well, I have work to do_ '

She took out her phone and sent a quick message to the director before going over her song lists and played _Shake it Off by Mariah Carey_ before resuming unpacking.

* * *

Levi knocked on her door with a set of clean, white bed covers and blankets in one hand. For the last two hours, they managed to agree that the event will be held tomorrow night on the school's central plaza. They will call it as _**POWHIRI***_ \- which, in olden times, is the ritual ceremony of encounter. Traditionally the process served to discover whether the visiting parties were friend or foe, and so its origins lay partly in military necessity; but in all sense, it's derived from _**Powitalny**_ \- which means ' _greeting of_ ' or ' _welcome_ '

When there was no answer, he knocked again, and again, and again. Every time he knocked and was given no answer, he could feel a vein throb harder on his forehead. After the fifth knock, he yanked the door open to meet an empty room with her phone on speaker by the bedside table playing _Do it Again by Pia ft. Chris Brown and Tyga_.

For a moment, he scanned her room. Just like the boxes that came in earlier, there's nothing much to fill this extra room that he cleaned yesterday. By the looks of it, the girl only thrived on books as the entire bookshelf that situated in the corner was filled to the brim and there were more that piled on her study desk; and by the closet she left open, he raised a brow at her few set of clothes. She's very different so far compared to the girls he knew and she just keeps on giving him surprises- heck even Hanji has a walk-through closet.

Then the door leading to her bathroom opened, revealing the raven-haired girl, her hand drying off her hair with a blue towel.

Good thing she changed in the bathroom before going out- else she'd be in her robes and it'll be pretty awkward.

They stared at each other's bored gaze until she spoke.

"It's rude to just barge inside a girl's room" she began "And didn't your president tell you not to come in here without my permission?"

Levi raised a delicate brow "I don't quite recall and for your information, I knocked- five times to be exact but there was no answer. Since the door's open I let myself in" he turned to her phone "If you weren't playing a song about sex then you wouldn't be accusing me of trespassing"

It was her turn to raise a brow, crossing her arms over her chest "Actually it's a song about a girl wanting to be more than friends after a one night stand"

"The song's called ' _Do it again_ ', the girl clearly wants to have sex again like on their one night stand" Levi snorted.

"But the guy conceded too. The feeling's mutual. Else he couldn't have said _'So I'ma have to do you better than the first time'"_

Levi raised a brow "Touché" he extended his arm to show her the blankets "Here"

Mikasa have already hung her towel back in her bathroom before turning back to him; "Thanks" she said, taking the sheets and proceeded to neatly dress the bed.

His eyes resumed in wondering around her empty room, nodding in approval at how neat she piled the empty boxes in one corner of the room. Levi's blue eyes returned to her, noticing that she took out her own red comforter. It'll be colder on this time of year after all.

"You're doing it wrong" he states as-a-matter-of-factly, crossing his arms across his chest.

He saw the quick twitch in her eye. She must be the type that doesn't like others to tell her what to do. Fortunately for him, she's too tired and not in the mood to counter so she decided to humor him.

"Enlighten me" she dared and the challenge was accepted.

Levi approached and took the edges of the sheets, flicking them before straightening out the wrinkles.

"Make sure you pull the mattress pad smooth" he started after neatly folding the sheets and settles it on her desk along with the pillows. "You wouldn't want to sleep with a lumpy bottom layer. You can hold them in place with safety pins" and as if he's preparing for this, he takes out those said pins from his pocket- making Mikasa raise a brow "or you could use corner fasteners"

Next, he takes the sheet "Then tuck the fitted sheet tightly" he pulls it taut and tucked the edges beneath the mattress. He now takes the flat sheet "Draping the flat sheet can be tricky so center it on the bed, with equal overhand on either side. Make sure to align the top edge with the top edge of the bed" he then takes her blanket "For the blanket, pull it down from the top of the mattress rather than the other way around so that the side edges could be as even with the sheet as possible. Then tuck in the flat sheet and the blanket together before turning down the sheet and the blanket tops. Lastly, layer the pillows"

Levi takes the plush pillows and stops for a moment after realizing he didn't have to correct it since it was evenly dressed. He continued, "Start with the pillows you'll sleep on. Plump them up and prop them against the headboard or wall before throwing in the bolster pillows"

Mikasa could only watch the raven-haired. She didn't expect that for someone with a cold and quiet demeanor could possibly talk so much over something- especially involving housework. He flattens the last wrinkles of his work before nodding at satisfaction. She gotta admit that for a guy, he's done a well-made bed. Even Eren doesn't even know the difference between a comforter and a mattress.

When blue eyes met gray, the spitefulness in his voice returned "What?"

Mikasa didn't realize that she was staring "Did you used to work in a hotel or something?"

"Yes actually. I worked as a housekeeper in Shangri-la Hotel when I was fifteen years old" Sarcasm

She played along "My, my no wonder Mr. stares-a-lot is good" Just before he could ask about the lame nickname, she added "Thanks though"

Levi huffed, "Whatever. Listen, just to make things clear I don't exactly like the idea of a girl staying here. I don't know what the director saw in you because as a former president of the frat, I know he knows better than to just break one of the frat's rules and I don't buy the bullshit just because you got the Trinity Scholarship like the idiots in this house because this is too much special treatment"

For all the while, Mikasa didn't say anything. She just continued to stare and absorb everything he's saying without much of a reaction. He took it as his cue to continue "And just because you'll be staying here for the next year or two doesn't mean we can be friends. And it seems to me that you're also the type to do things her way"

She merely nodded "I honestly didn't expect that the director would let me stay here. So what's your proposition?"

"Stay out of my business. You do yours and I'll do mine. I won't even question why you're in that alley last night"

"I was going to get some books"

"And I suppose you were taking a shortcut from that alley? Not to mention those drunkards that cornered you"

"I beat them up just fine. You weren't exactly a hero that night"

"I was just passing by"

Mikasa sighed "Just don't mention it to Eren. The last thing I wanted was for him to worry about me"

"You can keep the brat busy. That'll finally keep him out of my hair"

"Don't call him a brat" If Levi's outer shell isn't so hard then he would've visibly been surprised at her sudden change of expressions. For the last few hours she remained passive and bored but the mere mention of her brother's name in insult changed it entirely into a glare that could make a grown man into a shaking puppy. Interesting

Shrugging, he takes out his hand but before they could shake on it there was a large rumble and Eren's voice shouting in despair.

"Eren" Immediately, her face took another one-eighty, this time in worry before dashing down the stairs.

When they made it there, Levi could literally feel his blood boil- clenching his fists till the knuckles were white "You sons of bitches" he hissed, closing his eyes for he can't bare the horror he's witnessing before him.

The entire kitchen was a mess.

Just imagine it like a tornado hit the room leaving the once sparkling kitchen into a scene coming from a disaster films.

"What a waste of good food" Mikasa sneered beside him, sending her own death glare at the scene.

Eren's head popped from underneath the center table, flinching at the sight of his not-so-pleased sister.

"I tried to stop them! I swear!" he flailed his arms in defense

Levi only narrowed his eyes before addressing the man who just stood and sighed beside him, his hand pinching the bridge of his nose "Erwin"

"They boys wanted to make dinner to welcome Mikasa. You could imagine what happened after that"

"I can't believe your stupidity is this worse" Levi voiced "I told you we should've just removed this fucking room because there's no use for it anyway. Nobody here knows how fucking flip a pan. The only use for this is the fridge for your cold pizzas every day"

By now the others emerged from the safe spots, looking downcast and embarrassed. They should brace themselves because Levi's never gonna stop bitching about them because of the mess they made.

"What?" Mikasa interjected before Levi could continue "Do you mean to say you've been eating with nothing but pizzas, take outs, and all that junk?"

"Hey we go out to diners once in a while"

"And it's just for breakfast and dinner. We eat lunch in the cafeteria"

"Eren!" Mikasa called

"Alright I admit it! but no one really knows how to cook among us and the last frat member who knows how was five years ago. Please don't do it to me in front of everyone" he put his hands up in surrender

Mikasa sighed frustrated. It's a miracle her brother survived a full year without eating a decent meal. He must be starving. As much as she wanted to scold him, even she wouldn't want to embarrass him in front of his brothers. But damn she could feel a migraine coming up. It's frustrating enough to see good ingredients go to waste but it's worse to see their state and how they were treated.

Because first off, you do not remove fish scales with a bread knife, you do not pour oil on a wet pan while it's on a stove and you most certainly do not peel potatoes with a grater!

And here she thought the members of ṦO∆R are smart people.

Heaving off another sigh, she rolled up her sleeves "Eren"

Having known this familiar scene, he cried "Alright guys lets just go! Lets wash up or something" he shoved his brothers out of the kitchen, giving him confused glances and remarks.

They all did a quick shower- including Levi to cool off his steam, not wanting to risk murdering his frat brothers no matter how tempting that sounds and by the time they returned the kitchen was clean again. Though not as squeaky clean like Levi's cleaning but passable.

Mikasa was behind the counter wearing an apron while holding a knife in front of the leftover fish they butchered poorly. She clicked her tongue, "What a waste"

"What's she gonna do?"

Using another butcher's knife, started grounding up the fish with fast, deep strokes. The sound of steel hitting wood as the fish reduced into nothing more than a heap of red mass.

"H-Hey Mikasa"

"Why is she still using those parts?"

"We can buy ingredients for you, you know"

But Mikasa ignored them and, like Levi, decided to make a demonstration of her own.

"The tuna's bones and heads can be grounded up and pulverized with the guts" she started, kneading the parts with a mortar and pestle. "After adding the vegetable bits and rolling the paste into balls, they can be deep-fried in oil" she dropped the pink fish balls and the sound of oil cracking sent shivers down their spine. She then proceeded to steer a pot, boiling the fat of the meat until it turns soft and tender. They boys only watched her, their mouths agape as she continued through her work with precision.

She nodded in content when she tasted the soup made from shellfish which provided a perfect complement to the balls.

"You'll also need a vegetable dish" she added, "The skin of the potato is more nutritious than the inside"

Even though Eren knew he'll receive a good scolding from her later, he can't help but grin with pride while the others hung their mouths.

By now they are practically drooling- even Erwin and Levi could feel their cold façade slipping from the enticing aroma. "The stem of the broccoli becomes a gentle and fragrant dressing" Mikasa finishes with a spray on the prepared meal before holding up her arms, a small smile painted her face.

"Dinner's ready boys"

Snapped by their own fantasy, they raced to the chairs. The moment they took a bite, they were at bliss. The quiet ones were speechless whereas the others kept on saying how delicious the meal was with every bite and swallow. Mikasa reddened at the compliments, taking her own seat beside Eren who looked very proud at his sister.

When they were halfway eating, Erwin caught their attention and raised his glass of iced tea.

"Alright everyone, even though this day's been full of surprises let's all put it all aside" he stood up and the others followed, holding their own glasses "Let's all toast to welcome Mikasa Ackerman to Saker Omni Delta Rho and to thank her for this delicious meal and that we may all have a great semester this year"

"CHEERS!"

The sounds of glasses clanking, happy cheers and smiling faces.

Mr. Stares-a-lot stealing glances at a raven-haired across the table.

Taking a bite from the balled fish, he smiled inwardly.

' _Delicious'_

 **SOAR (ṦO∆R)**

 **Saker Omni Delta Rho**

* * *

 ***In my university, we have something like that. Yes, it's called POWHIRI too.**

 **Also, I do not own any of the demonstrations here. Heck I don't even know how to cook XD They bed dressing something I got on google and the cooking was from an episode of One Piece when Sanji cooked for the Marines.**

 **OOoooKAY! I promise the love and development starts in the next chapter so I hope you all will stay tune!**

 **Comments, Reviews and Criticisms are highly appreciated! Requests and suggestions are also welcome!**

 **I'll be updating in three days or every week so be sure to hit that subscribe button to know when's the next chap and tap those kudos if you love this story!**

 **Ciao~!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Like I promised!**

 **The FLUFF and ROMANCE starts HERE AND ONWARDS!**

 **sooooo enjoy! Your feedbacks are highly appreciated!**

* * *

A few hours after dawn broke, the golden rays of the sun already faded away the deep dark tresses of the night, transforming it into a peaceful, clear blue sky; the short, blue-eyed, raven-haired soccer captain began his routine for the day. Choosing a half-yogurt to eat before doing his workout- but since he'll be busy later helping out for the welcome party (as much as he detests that idea), he'll settle for something light but enough to wake his senses.

When he was already a kilometer away, another raven-haired, dressed in her hoodie, running shorts, and infamous red scarf, stop and enter the Saker Omni Delta Rho fraternity house.

After jogging around the vast campus, which is circling three times from their part of the academy (from District Rose to District Maria) while listening to his ipod- with his favorite song: Reluctant Heroes playing on shuffle every now and then, he finally walked back inside the house.

With two hours already done on his system after his light workout, he should grab whatever it is in the fridge before the others woke up and eat their already scarce rations. However, the moment he entered the house, he was suddenly on high at the sudden burst of aroma. For a second he felt light headed until he followed the scent to the kitchen.

So far his return to the academy gave him nothing but surprises. First the members of ṦO∆R obliged to clean the house without his orders, the news that the frat house is going to let a girl stay in here, then the girl he saw beat up five men five times her size was the one who's going to stay with them (what a small world), then he learned that the girl has the same last name as his (what a small world indeed), and now the kitchen never looked so pleasing of all the years he stayed here- because the once empty, neglected part of the house, is full of hot, freshly cooked pancakes and waffles.

"Oh" he snapped at the voice to find Mikasa looking at him on her side of the kitchen.

He could only stare back at her with his bored façade. _'Looks like she's going out'_ he notices her clothes. Mikasa turned her gaze back and when the brew on the coffee maker was ready, she arranged it at the center of the table.

She gave a small, barely noticeable smile on her face before grabbing her bag and sling it over her shoulder.

"I have to be somewhere" was what she only said before going for the door but not before adding something to him "Please wash the dishes after you guys eat. I wouldn't want to see a mess when I get back"

Levi would've made a comeback but she was already out the door. Did she really just tell him to clean up? And who is she to order him around?! He's Levi Ackerman for crying out loud! He wouldn't be caught dead using his own pen without wiping and disinfecting it before using. Heck not even ten packs of wet wipes can last with him within three days! **He's** the one making the members of ṦO∆R perform their housework. **He's** the one who makes sure things are in order. He wouldn't even rest until he eradicates a single stain on his shirt.

And yet this new girl has the audacity to tell him about this kind of stuff? Either she's really stupid or she doesn't know who he is. He should be angry; he should make her eat what she said but somehow, as if by some cosmic phenomenon, he wasn't. In fact, he found her bold statement… amusing. Even though she probably just doesn't know him, it amuses him- and slightly irritates him that she has the guts to talk to him- much less order him, without a hint of fear in her voice.

He was cold, cunning, ruthless, and handsome (as most would say). His brutal plays in soccer games and cold-blooded fighting style earned him respect, fear, and even hate by the entire Trinity Academy populace and to those outside school- with the exception of Erwin, Hanji and some of his terror professors (but even they would hesitate in front of him from time to time). It's just the thought that there exists a being who could dare talk back to him and not even give quiver a single shake amuses him- it never crossed his mind.

Levi didn't notice about the smirk on his lips as he went up to his room to shower and change.

When he returned downstairs, newly bathed and clothed, the others were already stuffing themselves with breakfast. He sat on his chair and sipped on the coffee he caught her brewing earlier. It was a perfect blend, makes him wonder if she used regular coffee beans or powder. Also, it dawned to him where on earth did she get ingredients to make pancakes and waffles? Erwin showed him her note at the table saying:

' _Thank you again for letting me stay here._

 _Please enjoy. I have to be somewhere._

 _I hope you all like pancakes and waffles._

 _I've already brewed the coffee._

 _Mikasa A.'_

Contrary to popular belief, even though Levi enjoys bitter coffee- and tea, he has a particular sweet tooth so when he took a bite on his share, a shiver ran down his spine.

And just like the dinner she prepared last night, it was delicious

* * *

When they told her Trinity Academy is big, she didn't realize that it would be _this_ big. After all, there's that sensation of going to a new place and feeling as if everything's bigger but she thought that it might all pass when she starts getting used to it and have her own routine. That is, until she went out to jog at the crack of dawn. The frat house is located in what they call the District Rose where all of the dormitories, fraternities and sororities are located. It looked more like a normal town if you'd just remove the signs of their brotherhood and sisterhood names.

Way past that, which leads to the middle portion of the campus is District Maria where most of the fields for outdoor sports and gyms are located- including the plaza where the welcome party or POWHIRI will be held tonight. Mikasa gotta admit that the ṦO∆R works fast. After all, they just finished planning for the event last night and now the foundation for the stage is already set.

' _Looks like there will be a band tonight_ ' she thought.

She took her time while she jogged to familiarize the area; circling around the two districts she left the last one, which is the heart of the school, District Sina. This is where she was earlier yesterday. District Sina holds all the buildings of different departments- the classrooms, libraries, laboratories, and etc.

But there's also a place called Kagawasan Valley, which is an area circling between District Sina and District Maria- not to mention Saoirse Valley which occupies between District Maria and District Rose. Both valleys are like the resting spots for the students if they just want to lay back and relax from all that school work. You can't miss it; it's the greenest and cleanest part of the campus with more trees and grasses to lie on. It also has different restaurants, eateries, cafes- even bookstores provided by the school. These are implemented by the academy not only for their student's pleasure but especially for working students. Regular students can also work if they ever have the time or if they want to earn extra cash.

* * *

After Mikasa took the liberty of preparing the ṦO∆R members breakfast, she proceeded to go to a bookstore in Kagawasan Valley to pick up the books she ordered for class. Though she knows there wouldn't be any classes yet today, she'd like to start organizing her locker and schedule.

For a normal person, just by walking from District Rose to Kagawasan Valley is like running through a marathon but then again, Mikasa Ackerman is nowhere near normal- even she's aware that she exceeds more than others. Not only does she have brains but she is a black belt in most martial arts too. She's also fond of working out and likes to exercise which sets her apart from other girls- which reminds her, she has to go find a suitable gym and apply for a membership. She hopes that she'll find at least a decent gym here or else she'll have to look for one outside campus.

So for Mikasa, this is just like taking a leisure walk through the park. However, as much as she likes walking to stretch out her legs, she gotta admit that it's eating a lot of her time. She wouldn't want to be late for her classes in the morning and she most certainly wouldn't want to be late on her usual dinner time.

' _I think the school rents out bicycles for their students_ ' she hummed as she walked inside the bookstore- that opened just in time.

"Excuse me, do you know where they rent out bikes here?" she asked the lady from behind the counter after giving her books.

"Well most of them can be found near this store. The bike shops are only found around here in this part of the academy but I doubt that there'll be any left since there're more students now" she said "But good luck though"

"Thank you"

True enough, the lady was right. Mikasa, while carrying her heavy books in biology (mostly on botany) - since that's her major course; she also took some basic courses in HRM, went over each bike shop she could find but with no luck at all. All of the bikes have been rented out and they're only open for parts and repairs.

Mikasa sighed in dismay, either she chooses to walk to and fro or find a rental outside of campus. She weighed in her options as she made her way to the main building to find her locker. By the time she arrived, a lot of students are already in the halls chatting with their friends, making friends, finding a new nerd to bully, or the ever classical struggling with their lockers.

' _2319… 2319…_ ' Mikasa chuckled a bit the at threat code in reference from Monsters Inc. her thoughts however, stopped at the sight of a girl that looks like her head's glued to her locker.

She approached her, looks like she isn't glued after all but what is she doing? minutes ticked by as she continued to stare at her side.

Mikasa cleared her throat, seeing the girl's ears perk. Guess that got her attention.

"Can you please move?" she asked in monotone but the only response she got was a growl from the girl's stomach. Mikasa blinked at the sight of the girl's head only sinking deeper to her locker.

She looked from left to right, not knowing what to do. She still has something to do and waiting for her move away from her locker is _not_ one of her plans.

"If I give you food, would you step away from my locker?" she only got another growl as a reply.

Mikasa sighed and opened her bag to take out the steamed potato she's saving later.

' _It's the last one since my visit from Japan'_ she sighed _'But I guess it can't be helped'_ she thought. The moment she unwrapped the foil, the girl's eyes immediately shined as the aroma hit her nose.

With Mikasa's amazing reflexes, she stepped out of the way just in time to evade the girl's launch to witness the girl munch on the potato.

' _She looks like a rabid squirrel_ ' she shook her head and entered the code of her locker.

Heaving her heavy books inside, she took a mental note of having to buy big notebooks for her notes- maybe two or three, before closing her locker. But before she could take one step, she stared at the girl who's now in a worshipping position by her feet.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh mighty angel! Beacon of hope! Wings of Freedom! You have graced me with your presence and delivered upon me your gracious gift of 100 calories of starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial nightshade _Solanum tuberosum L_! For the last two hours I have been suffering in the void of starvation but you came down from heaven and granted me life! I am forever in your debt! I will do whatever you wish!" with a deep breath she stood up "Let me, your humble servant, introduce herself! My name is Sasha Braus-"

The girl's speech was cut short when she opened her eyes and realized that Mikasa was gone "Where'd you go?"

* * *

' _Well that was embarrassing_ ' Mikasa sighed what just happened earlier clearly caught a lot of attention… and Mikasa hates having too much attention, so she fled away from her before she even began talking. Hoping that she wouldn't run into that girl again, she fished out a small planner from her bag.

' _I have to check out the café and meet with the director at lunch_ ' she read, placing the planner back in her bag, hoping that the meeting wouldn't take too long. She wanted to make dinner for Eren… okay maybe for the rest of the ṦO∆R too. After all, she can't let them starve and it's the least she could do since they exempted her from their ' **No Girls Allowed** ' rule. Also, it's only a matter of time before people would start talking why she's in that frat house. She wouldn't cause further trouble.

She stopped at a café called Polar Bear Café- not minding the ' _Closed_ ' sign in front of the door. The bell tinkled and she was immediately greeted by a man in his mid-twenties carrying a big box.

"Sorry but the café won't be open till next week" he said. Mikasa eyed the pale-skinned man with very light blonde hair and contrasting dark eyes before answering.

"No, I'm actually here to apply"

He settled the box on a high chair before eyeing her from head to toe.

"Can you wait tables and perform behind the counter?" he tilted his head, pointing at the still-empty café counter

"Yes" she simply said

"Why'd you want to work _here_?" he emphasized that last word

"I don't want to rely on my sponsor too much and this place has a more peaceful atmosphere compared to the others"

He just stared at her for a while before nodding.

"You're in"

Mikasa's brows rose "That's it? You're not going to at least interview me?"

"Don't have to" he approached her, bending a little to match her height "As long as you can keep up with my pace around here and can learn how to prepare at least most of the menu, I don't think we'll have any problems. Besides, I could use an exotic, cute girl like you to attract some customers"

"Don't worry. I can manage well in the kitchen"

He straightens and takes out his hand "I'm Nathaniel Liam but you can just call me Nathan. I own this place"

"Mikasa Ackerman" she shook his hand

"I'm looking forward to working with you Mikasa. I appreciate a lot that you decided to choose this place. It gets a bit lonely running this café by myself"

"No one else works here?"

"Unfortunately, no" he crosses his arms "I just opened this place a year ago. There were those who applied before you but most of them didn't pass my taste and the others quit"

"Why?"

"Let's just say they can't perform their job right"

"What makes you think I can do better than them?" she challenged

He shrugged "Dunno, gut feeling? Anyway I appreciate you coming but there wouldn't be anything to do here yet"

"I can help you unpack though" she eyed the piles of boxes and the open door to the storage.

"Thanks but I wouldn't want to keep your time. A freshman like you should be out making friends"

"For your information, I'm a transferee; and it's okay, I want to help. I'm not really gonna do anything till lunch"

He sighed "Fine"

"By the way, can I ask?" he raised a brow "Why Polar Bear Café?"

He gave her a small- charming smile "I was born in Alaska. There were a lot of them from where I used to live, reminds me of home. I originally wanted to call it Shirokuma Café but I doubt they would understand what it means. No offense, Mikasa- _chan_ "

Mikasa broke her façade, giving off a very amused expression "You can tell?" his smile only widened as he shrugged his shoulders "Let me guess, gut feeling?"

"It never failed me"

"I think we're going to get along pretty well, boss"

"I think so too"

* * *

For the next few hours, Mikasa helped Nathan sort out the boxes and make the list to buy for the ingredients. She learned that he's studying culinary arts and that he opened his café on his second year to have a taste of experience. Mikasa is quite impressed that he managed to work out this café on his own for a year. From what she heard, Polar Bear is quite the ideal place for relaxation and the menu here is outstanding.

Nathan told her that she'll work here in the afternoon till closing time- which is 7pm, since she has classes in the morning, a full time on Saturdays (9am – 7pm) and she gets the time off on Sundays since the café is closed on that day.

" _That'll be it for today, thanks for your help"_

" _But there are still a few boxes left"_

" _Leave them, and didn't you say you have somewhere to go at lunch?"_

" _Oh yeah"_

" _You can come back tomorrow if you want but it's alright if you don't want to"_

" _I will come tomorrow. Why are you securing the windows?"_

"' _Cause there's gonna be a passing storm later. It won't stop till tomorrow morning, I think"_

" _There's not a single cloud in the sky"_

" _There isn't any now but there'll be plenty later. I suggest you take an umbrella or go back to your dorm before the rain starts pouring"_

" _Okay… thanks. I have to go"_

" _See ya around Mikasa"_

" _Bye Nathan"_

After that, Mikasa proceeded to the director's office and ate lunch with him to discuss more about her familial matter. They continued to talk, arrange documents and analyze her current predicament to fill all loopholes and ensure a victory on her claim.

Now, the raven-haired waited patiently in front of the elevator. When it dinged on her floor, most of the students stepped out except for one blue-eyed, raven-haired who looked at her without much of a reaction. She stepped inside and the elevator doors closed before they could feel themselves going down.

They stayed in silence, him on the back left corner and her on the other side. Neither paid any heed to each other's presence until there was a sudden, loud clap of thunder. The steel box jerked, making the wires screech and the mechanism whir.

The flickering lights and the heavy noise of the machine made Mikasa's heart thump loudly in her chest as she gripped on the rails, praying that the elevator wouldn't fall and crash. After another jerk, all movement stopped. The light only flickered to a dim glow and the only sound they heard was the loud platter of rain outside.

"The fuck?" Levi cursed before jamming his thumb on the emergency button. He pressed on it several times but there was still no response "Useless piece of shit" he seethed, going back on his corner. Running a hand through his hair, he glanced at the girl who glared at her phone.

"No signal" she said before turning to him "What about yours?"

Levi took out his cell and scowled "Dead batteries"

He heard her sigh in frustration "Looks like we're gonna be stuck here for a while"

"Hnn…"

* * *

"Aren't your legs tired of standing?" Mikasa asked on her sitting position by her corner.

"No"

Liar. He's been running around checking on the preparations from different departments all day. In fact, he should be back at the house by now, under a nice hot shower if he wasn't so unlucky to be stuck in this shit.

"Liar" his head snapped at her direction.

"I'm not gonna sit on a filthy floor"

"Beats wearing out your legs" she shrugged.

Levi was about to say something until she dug through her bag and tossed him a pack of tissues. He stared between her and the pack.

"I'm getting tired of you shifting around. So stop being a bitch and sit down"

He gave her one last glare before taking out ten tissues and place them neatly on the floor before sitting down.

He threw her pack of tissues back to her and it hit her head.

"Asshole" her whisper wasn't much of a whisper to his ears but made no remark as he rested his chin on his palm, his elbow on his leg as he stared at his side of the wall.

* * *

' _I should've listened to Nathan_ ' Mikasa thought, exhaling warm air to her hands before rubbing them furiously. How he knew about the passing storm is beyond her. She just wished that she would've trusted his weird forecast. Then again, who would've thought that she'd get trapped in the elevator with the person she least liked.

Not that he's done anything to really offend her or infuriate her on anything. She just can't help but feel really irritated whenever she sees him.

She must've hated him in her previous life.

She doesn't know how long they've been trapped in there but she could feel the small container getting colder by the minute.

Mikasa heard shuffling but she was too busy warming her hands. Good thing she always wears her red scarf though. The shuffling stops and something heavy fell on her.

"Hey!" she barked but she stopped when her eye caught the thing on her hands. It was a letterman jacket. The vest was deep forest green and the sleeves were black with white stripes. The ṦO∆R logo- a shield with a Saker falcon crossing its wings (one blue and the other white) along with some intricate designs- was stitched on the left side while the words ṦO∆R was ran down on the other. At the back were the words _Levi Ackerman_ printed in white and blue.

Mikasa looked back at him but he only let out a ' _tch'_ when their gazes met.

"Thank you but I don't-"

"Shut up"

She frowned "Excuse me?"

"I said shut up" he spat, rubbing the back of his neck before staring back at the steel wall again "Just shut up and take it"

Mikasa blinked, twice- thrice, unsure of how to deal with this situation.

"I'm getting tired of hearing your breath, it smells foul" her eye twitched at his rude remark "So stop being a bitch and put it on already" he mocked.

It was her turn to look at him for a while before she felt a chill run down her spine. Succumbing to the cold, she put on the jacket and buttoned it up to the neck. Surprisingly, it was…

' _A perfect fit'_ she brought her knees together, hugging herself before turning her face around to look on her side of the wall.

"Bitch" she heard him whisper.

Mikasa would've shouted at Levi if only his jacket didn't smell so good…

* * *

' _Dammit'_ Levi cursed, pressing his body together. ' _It's getting fucking cold…_ ' he seethed, trying hard to not fidget too much for his pride kept him from bringing his hands together and rub to at least conduct a bit of heat.

"You're cold"

"No I'm not"

Mikasa rolled her eyes. Levi saw her shift, starting to unbutton his jacket.

" _ **Don't**_ " he spat

"But you're-"

"I said _**don't**_ "

"I'm doing you a favor" her brows furrowed

"I didn't ask for it"

Their voices were getting higher.

"I didn't ask for your jacket"

"And I didn't ask you to give it back"

"Why are you so stubborn?"

"Why don't you just think for yourself and keep the damn jacket on like what you're told"

"Don't order me around" she hissed but it suddenly changed into a more gentle tone "and I can't… think only for myself…"

A moment of silence and Levi's starting to shiver despite his efforts. It doesn't really help when he's just wearing jeans and a plain sweater vest with a white cravat tied around his neck.

"We could..." Mikasa started "You know…" she turned to him. Eyes meeting to deliver the words the other couldn't say.

Levi glared "I am _**not**_ cuddling with you"

She rolled her eyes "Wouldn't dream of it" she returned his glare "I only meant that we could just sit next to each other"

Levi huffed but immediately regretted it, even his own breath feels like ice. He fought over for control with himself for his teeth threatened to chatter. Fumbling around, trying his best to press his legs together with his body- he felt a weight on his left side. He turned his head over only to see long strands of black, silky hair covering the side of her face.

He looked at his feet, "I said I don't-"

"I'm not cuddling you, you twit" she buried her face inside her scarf

"I'm still not comfortable with this"

"Neither am I"

Silence enveloped them once more.

* * *

' _Well, this is…_

'… _very…'_

'… _awkward'_

They thought in unison. Though there's nothing wrong with them sitting next to each other, something weird and unidentifiable was pulling in their stomachs. It's not like they're skin to skin so what's wrong that?

Well, it couldn't be the fact they're sitting really, _really_ close to each other- with their minds only using the excuse that they should at least have body contact to keep warm. It couldn't also be that whenever the other would shift to get into a more comfortable position that their legs and arms would brush against each other. Also, it couldn't be that whenever Mikasa would rub her hands on her pants and whenever Levi would dust off imaginary dust on his jeans that their hands would brush against each other. It also can't be that Levi would unconsciously look at her direction and would be greeted by the sweet smell of her hair.

 _Mmmm…. Peaches_

Levi likes peaches.

And it most certainly cannot be about Mikasa's drowsiness increasing that her head would drop on his shoulder- only to stop at the last second.

Nahh, it couldn't possibly be any of those, right? At the behavior they're showing, and the way their voices would rise to a pitch as if challenging one another- they practically hate each other… right?

"Are you still cold?" her voice breaks the ice but he couldn't tell her expression since she's facing the other way.

"A little" he mumbled.

"Hn" she nodded. "Did you like your breakfast?"

Levi took his time before answering "The guys sure enjoyed it"

"I'm asking you"

"What?"

"I'm asking if _you_ liked your breakfast"

"Yeah it wasn't… it wasn't bad"

Mikasa let out a soft smile.

"You didn't have to do that though"

"I want to" she answered "I wanted to thank all of you of letting me stay and I can't let you guys eat junk for another year, especially Eren"

Levi hummed "You sound like you wanted to be frat's cook"

There was silence…

"Would you let me?"

"Are you asking me or are you asking as a whole?"

Mikasa stifled a laughter before turning her head to his. Levi's lips slightly parted at the sight of her usually pressed lips curled slightly upwards.

"As a whole" she answered

Breaking his sudden blank thoughts, he shook his head "I… We… we wouldn't mind"

She hummed in reply, nodding in acknowledgement.

"Sweet"

"Hmm?"

"Your pancakes…" he drawled "It wasn't that sweet"

"I didn't thought that you guys would like sweet things… especially you"

He looked down in understanding.

"I can make it sweeter next time"

"That'll be nice" unbeknownst to Levi, his lips tugged a bit upwards and it didn't go unnoticed by Mikasa, who stared back at him with wide eyes. "What's with that face?"

"Nothing, it's just…" she searched through her brain of a proper word to say "Your smile…"

Levi snapped, realizing that he lost his cool for a second; a tint of barely noticeable blush painted his cheeks "I wasn't smiling"

"Yes you were" she rolled her eyes

"For your information, I don't smile. Ask anybody"

"You just did"

"You're delusional"

"And you're stubborn"

"Why do you always point at everything?"

"Why do you always complain about anything?"

"Can't you just mind your own business?"

"Can't you just stick your nose into your own business?"

"Why do you always have a comeback with everything I say?"

"Why do you always stare at me?" she huffed "also, I hate your guts"

"You're mental. Why would I stare at you?" he stared at the dim light above "And I hate your guts too, red"

She sighed loudly in exasperation. Levi chuckled lightly "Let's face it, we're completely incompatible"

"My thoughts exactly" she nodded in agreement.

At that moment, the elevator jerked liked before but this time, the light was back on and they could feel themselves going down as the numbers started to move.

* * *

Once they made it out of the elevator, they agreed to make a run for it once it opened. Since Levi wouldn't want to be hoarded by questions if anybody saw him come out with a girl. He has a reputation of being the cold bachelor. He'd like to keep that title and Mikasa would love to keep her profile low. They both agreed that they wouldn't want to be the subject of the entire academy's gossip line for the next few wee- in his case, months.

However, Mikasa is faced with another predicament. The passing storm continues to blow its heavy winds and cold rain that it makes it impossible to even take a step further out of the entrance. Unfortunately for her, the rain still blocked her signal and she's yet to know the telephone number of the frat house. She should've asked Levi but he separated from her towards another direction when they sprinted out of the elevator.

' _I guess I should just stay in the library or find an empty classroom_ ' she sighed in defeat, her eyes navigating around the crowd of students- not realizing that the whispers and stares they're doing was for her, specifically towards the letterman jacket she's wearing.

At least she's not the only one stranded.

But before she could take another step, the front doors burst open to see a person wearing a helmet, completely wet.

Mikasa's eyes widened at the recognition of the soaking sweater vest and cravat ' _Levi?_ '

When he looked at her way, he tossed her a single, dry raincoat. Seeing the slight movement of his helmet, she slipped on the rain coat without another word and just as she popped her hands out, Levi immediately grabbed her by the wrist and practically dragged her out of the entrance to reveal a soaking black Ducati before tossing her an extra helmet.

"It's dangerous to ride in this rain!" she cried against the loud patter of the rain.

"Try me" he merely stated before hopping on the motorcycle and start the engine. "Hurry up!" he shouted.

Mikasa plopped on her seat behind him and almost slipped down when she discovered that there was no handle to hold onto.

"Hold on tight, brat" he called to her.

That was the only warning he could give before suddenly speeding off into the pouring rain. Mikasa held on to her dear life as she wrapped her arms around his waist, praying to all supreme beings that this show-off's stupid stunt wouldn't be the cause of her death.

Sure enough, before she could start cursing him and tell herself how stupid she is to do something this dangerous, before she knew it, the heard the engine stop and they were already in front of the frat house.

 **SOAR (ṦO∆R)**

 **Saker Omni Delta Rho**

* * *

 **Well? What do you guys think?**

 **Was it weird?**

 **Was it rushed?**

 **Did it go well?**

 **Did it went astray for a bit?**

 **Did I get the characters right?**

 **PLEASE TELL ME. Your comments are really important! It lets me know if I'm doing a great job so that I can make arrangements and modifications on the later chapters!**

 **Comments, Reviews and Criticisms are highly appreciated! Requests and suggestions are also welcome!**

 **I'll be updating in three days or every week so be sure to hit that follow button to know when's the next chap and add this to your favorites if you like this story!**

 **Ciao~!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: The cover pic was drawn by me :) Though I'm planning on changing it~!**

* * *

" **Don't. Say. A. Word** " Levi stressed each word through clenched teeth at the brunette who held the door open.

Just a few minutes ago, Eren was panicking at the whereabouts of his sister. Though he never admits it but he cares deeply for the Asian and he'll be dammed if anything happens to her. He knew he shouldn't worry. Mikasa's strong and can handle herself on her own but sometimes his role as a brother kicks in and at times like these, when there came a sudden storm and her phone line's busy, he just couldn't help but worry. Plus, Mikasa's out of sorts lately. Also, he knows full well he'll be screwed if Armin and his parents found out he let something bad happen to her.

All the while he was panicking, Connie tried his best on calming him down but with Jean calling him names, it didn't help at all- it only made things worse.

When Eren made the blind decision to go through the storm to find his sister and before Erwin and the others could stop him, the moment he opened the door, he was immediately greeted by a glowering, soaking Levi with Mikasa standing beside him- dry thanks to the raincoat draped around her.

"Don't just stand there Jaeger, get a fucking mop" he ordered before shoving him aside as he sprinted his way up to his room.

The others came around the girl, asking how she is and what happened to which Mikasa only shook her head and said that they were just caught up in the storm.

"Come on Mikasa, let's get you to your room so you can shower. You might catch a cold" Eren guided her up the steps, leaving the others a bit jealous at the fact that- because of Erwin's rule, he's the only one to enter her room… not that they have anything else in mind.

While in her room, Mikasa was relishing the hot sprinkles of water under the showerhead, feeling her body warm up and relief her from the cold while Eren stayed outside her bathroom's door, sitting on the floor with his head up in the ceiling.

"How's the water?" he asked aloud.

"It's quite refreshing" she answered.

"That's good" he nodded "How come you haven't answered your phone? I've been calling you for the last few hours"

Mikasa sensed the concern in his voice. She sighed as she rubbed the soap over her arm "My phone can't pick up a signal because of the storm"

"Figures. So how'd ya met up with Levi?"

"I was stranded at the lobby and he gave me a ride back here"

"He… WHAT?!" Eren exclaimed, looking at the door in total disbelief.

"Is something wrong?"

Is something wrong? Of course there's something wrong! Eren couldn't believe what he just heard. Mikasa would never lie. So does that mean that Levi- _the_ Levi let someone ride on his prized Ducati?! Everyone knows that Levi never lets anyone ride his motorcycle- or even let anyone touch it. That Ducati was- from what he knows, was a present given to him by the guy who sponsors his studies when he graduated high school. it was the most expensive present Levi has ever received- even though his sponsor wasn't totally rich, he was grateful for the gift and has treasured it ever since. The only ones who are able to touch it were Erwin- his best friend, Farlan, Isabel, and Hanji (she more likely just got lucky) but no one has ever ridden it besides him.

"Eren, are you okay?" he snapped at Mikasa's concerned voice from behind the door.

"Ah! Y-yeah I'm good. It's just… n-never mind" he laughed nervously "So how was your day?"

"I got a job in a campus café" by now, she's drying herself

"What?!" Mikasa sure caught him surprised the second time around "What for? Mikasa, you got the Trinity scholarship. Your expenses are totally covered 100%!"

"I know that" she rolled her eyes, already putting on her new set of clothes. "But I just wouldn't want to rely on the dire- to mom and dad too much. Besides, I'm just doing it so that I can have my own money and its fine, the café's nice and the owner and I get along pretty well already"

"Well, I won't stop ya. What café is this anyway?"

"Polar Bear Café"

"Never heard of it" Eren nearly fell when Mikasa opened her door- fully clothed with a hand drying her hair using a towel

Mikasa rolled her eyes again "Of course you wouldn't. You're not even interested in those places so it's no surprise you wouldn't know about it. I doubt you even know Starbucks"

"Hey! I know Starbucks!" Eren defensed, huffing as he crossed his arms.

"Sure you do" she teased before throwing her wet towel on his face.

* * *

True to what he said, Mikasa admits that she's very impressed to find the rain stop the next morning. Unfortunately, it was all too wet and slippery outside- not to mention some broken branches and scattered leaves. Now since jogging's out of the option and since she hasn't found a good gym to apply to, she would have to resort to doing some squatras, sit ups, and push-ups. She _really_ needs to find a gym soon. She couldn't afford to keep these petty warm-ups any longer.

Nothing much happened after that. Mikasa prepared breakfast for the boys like yesterday. She was a bit surprised to find breakfast that morning to not be as awkward as she thought. She expected the others to bombard her with questions regarding last night- though they did ask how she was. There were also no words that exchanged between her and the steel-blue-eyed French.

Not that she'd mind. Bringing up that event that transpired between them is not worth mentioning anyway.

"Ahh so she did come after all" Nathan welcomed his new waitress and co-barista as she made her way through the small, 3-foot tall brick fence that potted this season's flowers.

Mikasa gave him a small smile "I told you"

"Well, since you bothered coming, why don't you start lending me a hand?"

"You got it boss" Both Nathan and Mikasa tugged away the lona.

After a few hours of taking down lonas, they finished off their cleaning by clearing the yard off of the fallen branches and leaves left by the storm and finished setting up the tables outside the café.

Mikasa's eyes widened at the sudden burst of flavor that coursed inside her mouth.

"These are amazing" she managed to say the words clearly as her tongue tingled because of the soft flour that was perfectly baked. "I've never tasted beignets _this_ good" she said, taking another bite.

"Of course it's good, it's one of the café's best sellers" he said with a proud, smug grin. After cleaning up outside, they decided to take a break and have lunch inside the café where Nathan prepared Mikasa some of his dishes.

"And these Panini's amazing too. The bread's burnt to a nice golden brown, the cheese melted evenly with the ingredients and the lettuce's still fresh green" she praised- now _that_ surprised even herself. Mikasa's pretty much aware that she doesn't praise anybody or anything easily.

"I created my own techniques. Here" he gave her a mug of his signature hot chocolate with a design of a polar bear using the brew's milky foam.

Mikasa couldn't hide the sudden chill that ran down her spine after one sip. It was absolutely delicious!

"A little speechless, are we?" he teased, making her stop drinking the heavenly drink with a dab of blush on her cheeks. "I'm glad you liked it"

"I think I'm going to get addicted to this" she bit her lip, relishing the lingering sweetness.

"I knew you had a sweet tooth. You remind me of our special customer. He gave me the same expression as yours after all" Nathan said, taking a bite on his Panini.

"Special customer?"

"The first and most loyal patron of Polar Bear Café. He comes here all the time, except when he's busy, for breakfast, lunch and after his classes. That guy's got a nice sweet tooth despite his looks and that hot choco's his favorite" he sipped on his own drink "He's not really warm to approach but I think you two are going to get along"

Mikasa nodded, finishing her Panini before licking the crumbs off her fingers "These are really amazing Nathan. I hope your café will get more famous this semester"

He snorted, an amused grin on his face "Oh you'd be surprised how well known this café is. Just why do you think I fired my employees just by their slight incompetence? Things are going to get really busy starting next week so I'm expecting you to be ready. Oh and I'll be teaching you the recipes tomorrow so you better show me how well you claim to be behind that counter" he challenged.

"I'm looking forward to it" she accepted.

"Good girl" he smiled "We'll finish everything once we're done with lunch. I've already cleaned inside the café so all that's left are taking out the tables. I've decided to change the furniture from the regular chairs and tables to cushions and sofas now that I have enough budgets from last year, so you'll have to help me with the design so that I can start ordering. The delivery usually takes up to three days so it'll be here before we open on Monday next week. After that, we'll go grocery shopping so that you can start with your training with the menu tomorrow"

She nodded, feeling excited to start learning- though she didn't show it.

"Hey Nathan"

"Hm?"

"There are still some ingredients left, maybe you could give me a heads up on how to make your prized Panini?"

* * *

' _Fucking, stupid storm_ ' Levi cursed under his breath.

Since this morning, he and the rest of the members of ṦO∆R have their hands full on the party for the freshmen. Unfortunately, thanks to the sudden storm, most of the décor and preparations were destroyed. Because of this, the director told them to let the rest of the week to be a welcome week for everybody. This lead them, meaning Erwin and the others-excluding Levi, decided to let the other frats, sororities, and clubs contribute to the festival. They can use it as an opportunity to recruit and invite members.

With that confirmed, Levi had no choice but to ensure that every organization in the entire campus will be participating… and it's goddamn tiring. Though he's got Oluo and Springer to help him, it's still not a walk through the park going to and fro and repeating the same explanation to them.

Plus, he hasn't eaten yet.

To his delight, he spotted his favorite café just across the street. He knew the owner very well and he should be there preparing his café so he decided to crash. Besides, he hasn't greeted him since his return on campus.

There was a light tintinnabulation as he opened the door.

"Well you're a sight for sore eyes"

"Hey Liam. How's Alaska?"

"Still as cold as I remember but I think global warming's heating up the ice. So Paris?"

"We didn't have the budget so we couldn't go"

"I see"

Their welcome introduction ended with their hands clasped in a firm grip with a look of great acknowledgement.

"Come on, take a seat Levi" he pointed the chair across from his side of the counter and Levi obliged "You have a killer timing you know. I was about to leave"

"This early? It's gotta be something important"

"Not really. Let's just say I finally got stable hands to help me around here"

Levi quirked a brow "Someone applied? Either they're really brave or really stupid"

"I'm not _that_ bad"

He rolled his eyes "Need I remind you why nobody wanted to apply to work with you after that incident? I'm surprised the director let you off the hook"

"That son of a bitch wasted precious ingredients" Nathan's demeanor turned serious, speaking through clenched teeth at the memory "Also, I received a suspension and I wasn't allowed to open my café for two weeks. Don't you know how depressing that is for me than being suspended from classes?"

"That's what got people thinking you're a real polar bear wearing human skin in the first place. So I'm guessing this new guy's got potential?"

"More than that" the Alaskan changed his features once again, this time with a smile "She's hot and she's got the skills too"

"Why am I not surprised that you hired a girl?" Levi chugged down the drink Nathan offered along with a plate with a half sandwich. "Thanks"

He raised his hands in surrender "Okay, okay, I admit a cute girl is in my checklist but this one's different. She's smart, focused, and good with food" Levi only nodded at his words sarcastically before taking a bite on the Panini. "In fact, she's the one who made that Panini you're eating and it's her first try"

Levi stopped chewing and looked at him with a raised brow before swallowing "Don't screw with me"

"I never lied to you Levi"

"This sandwich is just as how you make it. Don't fucking tell me an amateur perfected it right off the bat"

"I told you she's amazing. I was surprised myself, never thought that anybody can do as half as I can. Most of my employees before were only good in waiting tables. Guess I'm gonna have to open the counter for this one. Honestly, I'm a little awestruck." Nathan smiled "I'll be teaching her the recipes tomorrow so I had her do the grocery while I check in with my appliances in _H.E._ She just left just a few before you came in though. Too bad you missed her; I thought you two are going to get along"

Levi rolled his eyes, finishing the sandwich before wiping his hands with the alcohol and wet wipes that he always brings along. He got to admit, it was delicious. Now he wonders what rare good deed he might have done to suddenly be blessed to eat these appetizing cuisines since his return to campus.

"Just because she's as good with the knife as you doesn't mean I'll like her. She could be a nerd, binge-eater for all I know"

"Au contraire, mon ami- did I pronounced it right? I think she's your type of girl, maybe even way out of your league. I mean, she reminds me of you though"

"First Hanji says it's impossible for me to have another girlfriend, laughs at me that I should finally have sex, and now you're convincing me with a girl I've never met? Since when did you become a matchmaker?"

"Well your last girlfriend was when we were freshmen and you didn't even treat the poor girl as one. You shouldn't have agreed after you went with that pity date. I mean, you guys only lasted for two weeks! Man you're a cruel fucker and hey, I'm not forcing you with her. I'm just saying out what I think. Besides, it's a gut feeling"

A shiver ran down his spine when he said those four last words. He knows full well that Nathan can win any bet with that _feeling_ of his. Now he just hopes this'll be the first time it will never come true. "You know what? Just drop it, I'm not having this conversation with you anymore" he stood up from the stool.

"Says the guy who barged in here to waste my time"

"You _let_ me waste your time. Besides, I need to go back to Erwin anyway"

"Alright, well let's end this conversation with a bang, shall we? I let her taste your favorite Heaven's Sin Hot Chocolate and she fell **absolutely** _in love_ with it"

" **You. Didn't. Dare** "

"I just did"

* * *

"I'll see you tomorrow at the gym alright? I'll have your membership ready so all you have to do is to pay up" spoke a blonde girl to a raven-haired.

"Yes, thank you very much Annie" Mikasa bowed to her in gratitude.

"You don't have to bow like that you know, you did help us out after all"

"Anyway, we'll see ya at the gym 'kay?"

"I'm looking forward to it"

"Ya sure you don't need any help?"

"I think I can carry five or six bags on my own just fine"

"Alright, well we should be heading out. See you around Mikasa" the blonde waved

"Bye!"

"See ya!"

"Take care" Mikasa waved back at the three figures.

While Mikasa was on her way out of the campus, she spotted two figures struggling to take out boxes from a car. Unfortunately, because of the wet sidewalk, both a muscular blonde and brunette guy slipped and was bracing for impact on the cold pavement but Mikasa's body reacted fast enough to pull them up steady on their feet by a hard tuck on their sleeves and managed to catch the boxes with each of her hands on time.

A blonde girl soon came out just in time to shout at the men and call them idiots before turning to thank her. Mikasa soon learned their names to be Annie, Reiner- the blonde, and Berthodt- the brunette. She also learned that they are childhood friends and that Annie just came back from Netherlands. They were helping her with her belongings until that happened.

Annie commended Mikasa for her quick reflexes, good form, and strength earlier until she said that she likes to work out and exercise. That's how she befriended the three. They kept on talking about fitness and diet until Annie decided to invite Mikasa to the fitness center located near the school. They cited to her the good quality and gear, the classes she could enroll to, and how those three remained in the same gym since their transfer last year from New World University.

Mikasa was very grateful for them, feeling comfortable that she met people who are into her hobbies as well. They walked her out and lead her to the grocery store before waving goodbye for they said they have somewhere to go.

Feeling relieved that she finally solved her gym problem; she proceeded with her task to buy the ingredients on the list Nathan gave her. And when she means shop, it doesn't mean shopping for clothes, or accessories, or shoes, or fancy doodads, but food. Since Mikasa was a child, she practically grew up with nature; what with having a small vegetable farm when her parents were alive and with helping Eren's mother go and pick out ingredients from the local market, it's no wonder she's more of a critique in food quality than this season's fashion gallery.

She was heading towards a section to buy potatoes but she was rooted on the spot at the scene she's watching.

"Stop it Sasha! You're going to get us into trouble!"

"Don't stop me Connie!"

"Sasha you're going to get us kicked out or worse, they're gonna call the fuzz!"

"Let them try! Now get outta my way!"

Connie was shoved hard and his back hit Mikasa's shopping trolley.

"Oh god! I am so sorry- Mikasa?!" Connie blinked.

"Hi Connie"

"What are you doing here?"

Mikasa tilted her head at her half-full trolley "Grocery shopping?"

"Oh I'm so sorry about that Mikasa! I hope I didn't damage any of your goods"

"It's alright Connie. You didn't damage anything"

"That's a relief" he sighed

"There! Come on Connie! I'm done- I-I-It's you!"

Sasha pointed her forefinger at the scarfed girl. Mikasa's eyes narrowed for a second before widening it a bit at the realization.

' _Ahh, she's the girl from before_ ' she recalled.

"You know her?" Connie asked

"YOU know her?"

Mikasa stifled a laughter ' _These two are a bit comical'_

"Connie, she's the girl I've been telling you about!" Sasha squealed before hooking her arms to her. Mikasa was caught by surprised but decided to let the girl be.

"The one who gave you that steamed tomato when you passed out in the hallway yesterday?"

"It was a potato! PO-TA-TO! Not tomato you dumbass! And yes! She's the one!" the brunette smiled up at her

Mikasa took a step back "You're not going to kneel in front of me again, are you?"

"She what?!" Connie exclaimed "She did what- oh god! Sasha! I am so sorry about that Mikasa that must've been so embarrassing… I'm really sorry, she's an idiot I hope you'd understand"

"Why does she do that anyway?" Mikasa asked before Sasha could retort.

"This big-mouth is a big glutton and what you did-"

Sasha interrupted, chirping before Mikasa "See, I didn't eat breakfast that morning because I was really in a hurry!"

"See, this girl can't last a day without having seven to ten meals a day" Connie sighed, still looking apologetic.

Sasha's goofy grin faded and was replaced with a soft, genuine smile "I passed out but then you came and gave me food. I was so happy I couldn't help what I did! I'm sorry if blocked your locker. I thought it was mine!" she laughed "I guess that means our lockers are next to each other!"

Mikasa's mouth formed an 'o', nodding her head. "I'm sorry I ditched you back there though. I thought you… I didn't realize that you were only thanking me"

"Don't apologize Mikasa! What she did was embarrassing!" Connie straightened before bowing "I'm sorry because of my friend's behavior! Please forgive her" Mikasa blinked but before she could say anything, Connie added "Hey Sasha! Go on and bow down like I do!"

"But why?"

"Because this is how you apologize in Japan and Mikasa's part-Japanese!"

"Oh! R-right!" Sasha stiffly followed Connie's league.

"Gomenasai, Mikasa-chan!" they said in unison.

Mikasa blushed when she realized the attention they're causing, catching the other shoppers' attention. She waved her hands before her.

"You don't have to do that, please. Don't worry uhh… you're forgiven"

The duo smiled up at her and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh! Let me introduce you guys to each other then!" Connie chirped "Mikasa, this is my childhood friend Sasha Braus. Sasha, this is Mikasa Ackerman"

Mikasa let out her hand but Sasha didn't took it immediately as her face changed into a complete shock "Did you just say Ackerman?" Mikasa nodded, getting the clue of where she's going at "Are you anyway related to-"

"No" she shook her head "I know who you're talking about. We only have the same last name. I'm not related to Levi"

"Ohhh" Sasha snapped then shook Mikasa's hand rapidly "Sorry about that! It was just a shocker!"

"It's alright"

"Anyway, what're you shopping for Mikasa?" Connie asked

"Oh, I'm going on an errand for my boss. I got a job in a café in campus and he got me to buy these ingredients"

"That many alone?! Can you even carry all of them?"

She smirked under her scarf, nodding.

"I know! Why don't we help you shop Mikasa?"

"Thank you but-"

"It's no trouble at all Mikasa! Come on let me help you as an apology for yesterday!"

Before Mikasa could protest, the long shopping list hanging from her pocket was snatched.

Mikasa gotta admit, being with these two are… fun. It astounds her that she'd actually get along with people like them. She found them amusing and funny. The way Sasha and Connie spoke and treated each other made it obvious that they've known each other for a very long time. She learned that Connie was stopping Sasha from buying- correction, shoplifting all of the potatoes because she couldn't forget how good that potato Mikasa gave her and she wanted to try and remake it herself.

It made Mikasa smile that she made people happy because of her cooking. Turns out that Sasha's a culinary student and in the archery club- a bit contradicting but then again, Mikasa does like lifting weights.

Connie and Sasha helped Mikasa shop and felt her heart flutter at the realization that she made a new friend. She must be in luck. First Annie, Reiner and Berthodt and now Sasha; she's gotten closer to Connie now and he'd even made her laugh twice.

Whilst they were shopping, she even added a few on their list so that they'd actually have some food in the fridge at the frat house.

After which, when they were about to walk back to campus, Mikasa's phone vibrated and it showed a reminder that she has to make a quick stop to the library. Even though she protested, Sasha and Connie insisted that they'd deliver her groceries for her. Mikasa was skeptical at first, knowing that Nathan might get mad or fire her for having others do this but then again, she wouldn't want to let these ingredients wait out for too long. They need to be stocked and stored right away! Also, the library will close soon and she wouldn't want to come out and wait again tomorrow when she's already here.

So in the end, she reluctantly let them. Mikasa sprinted to the library. Everything's fine for the last few minutes until she stepped out of the store and bit her lip when she got a text from Nathan.

She smiled at the great news and texted back her thanks, breathing a sigh of relief that Nathan's not mad at her and that she wouldn't get fired. Then Mikasa remembered that she forgot to buy ingredients for tonight's dinner. She may have bought food for the fridge but not for their stomachs. So she went back to the supermarket.

The sun has completely descended when she came out of the store with two, heavy, paper bags. She figured that she'd cook extra for today considering that they have their hands full on the Welcome Party thanks to the sudden storm last night.

As her mind recalled the events of last night, especially to a particular French she got stuck in the elevator with, she didn't notice that the bag on her left fell out of balance from her arm, dispelling its contents in the cold pavement.

"Shit" she cursed, trying to pick up the ingredients- good thing nothing spilled but she groaned in frustration upon seeing the brown bag with a big rip underneath.

"You look pathetic" she turned to meet steel-blue eyes sipping on a strawberry milk carton.

"I've realized that" Mikasa hissed. Maybe she's not so lucky as she thought she was today after all?

"Good thing you know. I guess you're not as dumb as I thought" he commended before throwing his carton in the proper waste basket.

Mikasa was about to retort but he already went inside the supermarket, leaving the half-Japanese gaping like a fish. Why- the nerve of that-! He couldn't even help her?! Does he have a heart?! Mikasa further groaned, picking up the ingredients, trying to stuff and balance them in her other arm. As she picked up the spilled contents, she soon found another hand reaching and picking her groceries. She was about to throw this thief to a 180 but she stopped and realize that it was just Levi with a bigger brown bag.

When he was done stuffing the contents neatly in place, he picked the other bag beside her before rising up move forward.

"Unless you plan on asking for alms, let's go" he called out behind her still form, snapping her from her confusion.

They walked in silence, keeping distance from him as she trailed behind. She would hear him curse every now and then, mumbling something about ' _damn leaves_ ' and ' _stuck in shoe_ '. They halted under a green light.

"I can carry them you know" she whispered

"Oh sure, you showed me that earlier" he rolled his eyes, face fixed on the passing cars.

"I didn't ask for your help" on the contrary, she needed it.

"I didn't do it for you" she stared back, confused "This is dinner, right? I wouldn't want my food to taste like shit just because you couldn't hold a bag properly" she narrowed her eyes at his insult "Besides, it would be a waste of good ingredients, wouldn't it?" that's when he looked at her with cool eyes, giving her words back when the boys tried to make dinner for her on her first night at the house.

Mikasa remained speechless until the light changed and it signaled them to cross the street. An autumn breeze swept pass her, letting the cold air kiss her cheek and then she realized that she still has to return his jacket…

* * *

Levi couldn't quite explain their relationship- if he actually dared to use that word. Platonic? I guess. He suppose he could commend her for being different compared to other people he met in his life. Whether they knew of his bad reputation of being capable of extreme violence or not, (he was a notorious fighter when he was young- usually with the intention of protecting his foster siblings, and everyone knew better than to just stay and watch whenever someone royally pisses him off- a common occurrence in high school), people couldn't even stand anywhere less than five feet except for his closest companions.

Yet Mikasa was either really brave or really stupid to even take the chance to walk beside him. He admits that he's not a very friendly type of person. His rude remarks and insults were enough to make anyone cry or hate him regardless of age or gender. It was only by miracle that he gained his first friend, Erwin Smith, back when he first came to America to study in high school. It was just on one fateful day that he and Erwin were on the same road to walk back home when they stumbled upon a gang using an already-beat up kitten as a target practice.

What happened was admittedly cliché but that's how it happened and how they acknowledged one another. Erwin's first impression of him changed and he commended him for his tactics. Then from there, the loud-mouth Hanji Zoe tagged along, along with Mike.

So what makes Mikasa so different again?

Well, for starters, he's been rude to her and has insulted her a few times- even he's aware of that and he knows it isn't exactly the right words for a warm welcome but old habits die hard especially if you've lived in the slums for the first nine years of your life. But despite that, she remains unfazed with him and even makes a comeback of her own.

Second, unlike the others, she's not scared, nervous or even shows any bloodlust around him. Levi's not one to judge but his trained, observant eye tells him that beneath that layer of closing is a well-built body and chiseled muscles. Those hands of hers looked cruel enough to knock out any opponent and those legs looked fast enough to send her and other people flying- the evidence being how she beat up those drunkards by the alley when he first saw her. Levi would be really amused if she works out.

Third, he praises her for her skill in the kitchen. The only thing Levi knows how to make are eggs and how to brew tea and coffee. He felt no need to learn that kind of skill since food for him was scarce in his childhood. And besides, his caretaker always cooked for them and Farlan took up the job when they moved to America- but boy did he regret it when he went up for college and entered ṦO∆R. He wished he knew how to at least cook a piece of meat without burning it. Even Levi knew better that it's not healthy eating in fast foods all the time, especially since he very much likes it to keep his body in shape. Good thing he discovered Polar Bear Café though, it's worth the penny. Now that she's here, though he might not realize it, he looks forward of coming back to the frat house with freshly cooked food waiting on the table.

The fourth is that she's clean. Yes, most girls wouldn't like to be filthy. He notices how she glares at a drop of sauce whenever it fell on the dining table from one of the boys' plate. He also notices how she is very organized with the tools and ingredients in the kitchen and how she would always clean up the cooking counter and dry off the pans and knives before she calls everyone for dinner. Though her dishwashing needs some work- it's passable but it's still not as squeaky clean as how he does it.

The fifth is… what makes her different again? The fifth is… well… the last one is… well, she's… … .. .

There was a soft knock on his door just as he put on his running shoes for his morning jog. He opens the door to see Mikasa. He notices her wearing a red, hoodless jacket, black running shorts that stops just above her knee and matching black running shoes- similar to his own.

"You do know that it's 5am right?"

"I have to be somewhere"

He snorted, "You're always going somewhere"

She ignored him, "And I don't think I'll be able to get the chance to give this back to you" she motioned and Levi stared at his fraternity jacket which was folded neatly over her hands. "Thank you for lending it to me that time and don't worry, I washed it"

Levi made no comment as he flicked open the jacket, twisting and feeling it over his palm- examining it carefully. When she thought that he won't say anything else, she turned towards the direction of the stairs.

"Wait" she looked back "What the fuck is this?"

Mikasa narrowed her eyes, meeting his glare. "What?"

"Are you deaf? I asked you what the fuck this is" he hissed.

Feeling a vein throb on her head, she approached to see a few powders of laundry soap stuck inside the left sleeve. Mikasa noted the sudden change in his mood from boredom to fury.

"They're laundry powder"

"I know what they fucking are" without consideration, he threw the poor jacket to the side.

"HEY!" she barked, picking it up and dusting it off "What the fuck was that for? I just washed this"

"If you're going to wash something, do it right" he adjusted his cravat in place- who still wears those anyway?

"I was nice enough to wash it before returning to you" she stood and glared.

"How nice of you" his sarcasm only made Mikasa's temper shorten

"This is _your_ jacket- _your_ _ **fraternity**_ jacket, take it back"

"No"

"Wha-why?!"

"Because it's filthy. Why should I take it back? Clearly you don't even know how to do basic laundry. Even a five year old brat can do better than you"

Her mouth gaped, not knowing what to say as he slung his gym bag over his shoulder and walk away "Stop being such a jerk and just take your fucking jacket already!"

For a moment, Levi was startled at her sudden use of profanities, he smirked but didn't turn to her "If you're going to return it, at least wash it properly first" he replied as he continued towards the stairs.

"I have no obligation to do that for a single fucking jacket- especially yours!"

"Now is it that hard to be honest? If you can't clean your own laundry, then I wouldn't be surprised that you can't do others. I suppose Eren has to bear wearing pink underwear because you don't segregate the colored from the white first, do you? I feel sorry for him"

The nerve of-! "Don't involve Eren in this!"

"Whatever" he's descending down the steps now

"I'll never give this back then!"

"I won't be the one who's going to be hogged with questions why my jacket is with you"

"I'll tell them the truth that you lend it to me"

"And I'll tell them that you stole them from me and do you really think they'll believe a transferee like you?" He peeked up from the stairs for the last time "There's instructions in the internet on how to do the laundry for dunces. I suggest you look it up"

By then, Levi was already out of the fraternity house's door.

Mikasa remained to vent her frustration in the hallways, speaking profanities and cursing Levi in every language she knows.

She went out of the house soon after.

Little did they know that the entire Saker Omni Delta Rho house heard their early dispute in their respective rooms.

' _Wait, Levi lent his fraternity jacket to Mikasa?!'_

Then, as Mikasa jogged around and out of the school, she received a text message from her new friend, Sasha and at the same time, Erwin Smith also received a text message from a certain Hanji Zoe.

"Shit" they both cursed.

* * *

 **To Xojellaxo: Yes, I am a Filipino :D**

* * *

 **OKAY! Things are heating up and there will be more Mikasa and Levi interactions by the next chapter! This is by far the longest chapter I've written for this fic so hope you all enjoyed it!**

 **Ciao~!**


	6. Chapter 6

This morning is clearly not going as Mikasa had planned. It's just so simple! All she needs to do is give the jacket back, go to the gym Annie and the others recommended her, get her daily routine workout back, and have a nice long shower before spending the rest of the day training with Nathan in the café.

Unfortunately, thanks to her and Levi's… unpleasant morning bout, it's as if her plans were folded into a paper plane and was thrown straight into a burning oven.

Levi… that arrogant midget! Just what was his problem anyway?! Is it just some sick habit of his to go and ruin everybody's morning?! She was just returning the jacket he lent her and she was even kind enough to wash it. You'd think he would have the common sense to just accept it and even say ' _you didn't have to_ ' but nooo, oh no, he just had to make things worse didn't he? And on a bright and peaceful morning too!

She only ever encountered the guy for what? Six times? (Not that she's keeping count) and it's not even a week since she stayed under the same roof as him. They didn't have any problems before, not even when they were stuck in that elevator despite a few exchanges of words. She even thought that they'd get along because he seemed to be the type to not meddle in anyone's affairs and Mikasa really cares about her personal space.

So why is there suddenly some sick divine intervention that decided to mess with her hair? He could've just accepted the jacket and Mikasa would've been done with it! And here she was, planning to make him a personal lunch as thanks for giving her a ride through that storm... Well, to hell with it!

So it was only obvious that Mikasa vented her frustration on the nearest punching bag when she got to the gym. True enough, when she got there, her membership was already set and all she needed to do was pay the fee. Too bad Annie and the others weren't there, she wanted to thank them.

But despite how good it felt to finally crack those stiff muscles of hers, her thoughts just can't help but stray on a certain European who, begrudgingly, shares her last name. Now Mikasa is a strong and composed woman. It's one of her key traits and her calm façade is what brings Armin back his confidence and snaps his fear and it also parries against Eren's loud and reckless behavior- it keeps him out of trouble and smacks the sense back into him whenever he gets into a hissy fit.

In fact, those two have only seen Mikasa lose control **once** and that was years ago. When they were kids, some bullies went too far with them. Mikasa snapped and those bullies were lucky enough to live to tell the tale. Eren and Armin swore to never make the oriental mad again because surely, they have no intentions of experiencing her wrath that had those bullies confined in a hospital for a month.

Finally, she managed to calm down and listen to her rational mind- which to her that she shouldn't waste time on some arrogant midget that doesn't deserve her attention no matter how irritating he is. Plus, she has no reason to get worked up over a silly jacket. If he doesn't want it back then screw him! she'll just toss it in his room for all she cares- in fact, _that's_ what she's going to do once she gets back from Nathan's. And that's another thing; she only met him recently and yet after that morning bout, she can't help but feel this sudden urge to wring his puny little neck.

When she finally got her senses together did she realize that she gathered the morning patrons of the gym around her, giving her looks of amusement, praise, and acceptance (?) Mikasa finally snapped when she saw the manager of the gym with his arms crossed, looking at her with a scowl. After all, she just completely pulverized an entire punching bag with her kung-fu moves.

"I can pay for that" she said carefully and the manager sighed.

At least the gods were still slightly in her favor. Since she was a friend of Annie, the manager let her off the hook just this once. She still received a warning though.

Mikasa went back to the frat house and since it was still a bit early everyone is still asleep, though she doubts that because she's aware that Mikasa and Levi weren't exactly silent this morning. So after she showered (but not as long and as nice as she planned) and changed, she proceeded towards the kitchen to work her magic on three _bentos._

The raven-haired knocked on Connie's door. Knowing that Eren and Jean fought, again, it would mean that he'll be exchanging rooms with Oruo to prevent further damage- as much as she offered Eren to sleep in her room instead.

"What is it?" Connie answered lazily while rubbing his eye. "Oh! Mikasa! Good morning, do you need Eren? He's still asleep though but I'll wake him up for you"

"No, it's alright. Let him sleep" she shook her head, giving him a small smile. She indicated the lunch boxes wrapped in cloth "Here, I made these for you."

Connie accepted them "Oh wow, thanks Mikasa. What are these?"

"They're called _bentos_. It's Japanese for lunch boxes. They are for you, Eren and Sasha. I wanted to thank you two for helping me with the groceries"

"It's no problem at all Mikasa!"

"I made enough for your breakfast and lunch. Could you give the other two to Eren and Sasha? Knowing Eren, he'd probably stay asleep for another hour or two and I'm not sure how to meet with Sasha so…"

"Don't worry Mikasa, I'll give these to them. Thanks again" Connie gave her a warm smile and she smiled back before giving him a light bow.

"Well, I'll be off then"

And with that, she headed for the Polar Bear Café.

* * *

"Hmm…?"

"What?" Mikasa tilted her head to the left, innocently wondering why her boss is looking at her. She narrowed her eyes slightly at her senior, wary of his raised brow. The raven-haired couldn't help but feel a bit irritated because she somewhat knew the reason why he's giving her such a stare. He may appear stoic and bored but she just knew- that deep inside those pressed lips, he was smirking at her and she didn't like it at all.

The raised brow was a dead giveaway anyway.

"You're early" he stated obviously, surveying her again from head to toe- stopping to stare at her still-drenched hair.

"Yeah…" now it was her turn to look at him. Letting her eyes familiarize his new form- completely used to his casual clothes "What are you wearing?"

"This is Polar Bear's uniform. I always wear it whenever I handle food in the café, within business hours or not" he opened his arms for her to see before crossing it again "You have one too but it's just a plain white polo over a black apron and a sash tied around your head" he paused "Honestly, I doubt it'll look good on you though… I never paid much attention to it since none of my employees last long"

The corner of Mikasa's eye twitched once as she imagined herself in that sort of outfit… Nathan's right, it won't suit her at all. He saw her involuntary action and sighed.

"But… I think I could consider changing your uniform so that it'll match mine… that is, if your performance for today's training is above satisfactory" before Mikasa could react though, Nathan stepped to the side before nodding his head inside the café "I'm almost done setting up the appliances, help me finish those first then there's a spare apron in the back. Use it so that we can get started"

Mikasa nodded her head and dashed inside the building without question, setting her things on an empty table before heading for the boxes. Nathan's brow rose again at the sight of a very familiar letterman jacket that was carelessly slung over her bag on the table.

He sighed, not sure whether to be amused and pat himself on the back because his uncanny ability proved to be right again or feel sorry for both parties because he knows that once the news start flying, not even a tornado can stop it. And thanks- or not, with his trained eye, he knew both parties are not going to be patient with this sort of situation.

The Alaskan only sighed before joining to help Mikasa.

He better start roasting the beans soon 'cause it's only a matter of time before his ' _loyal customer'_ would come barging in these doors and demand to be left alone in his sanctuary at the right corner of the café.

Maybe he should charge him extra this time.

Mikasa groaned when she received another text from Sasha asking her if she's really staying in the ṦO∆R. really, it's as if her day just keeps on getting better and better- sarcastically speaking. She's been ignoring Sasha's texts all day, and she's somehow regretting giving her phone number. Is it really such a big deal that she's staying at a frat house? Okay, maybe ṦO∆R is the number one fraternity on campus, big whoop. It's not like she's friends with them anyway… okay, maybe acquaintances but she's not one to label her relationships with other people.

She sighed; she should've seen this coming. Plus it won't be long until outrageous rumors start flying around.

"Don't put such a frown" her boss commented without tearing his gaze from the omelette he's making for their lunch while she followed the style of one of the café's parfait. "You'll affect the taste"

She looked at him incredulously, momentarily pausing from her work "I don't to see how my facial expression can alter the flavor"

Nathan shrugged, "It's hard to explain but I've proven that food tastes better not only on how great you make it but on how you do it" he looked at her "Food is art, you know" Still not understanding what he meant, their attentions were caught by a knock on the door. "I'll get it" he said before turning off the stove and walking around the counter to the door. "Something you need?"

"Hi! Uhh… Liam, right?"

"Yeah"

"I'm just here to ask if-"

"Eren?" the oriental came from behind Nathan to see her adopted brother. Sure enough, it was Eren before her. He was wearing his own fraternity jacket and a messenger bag slung over his shoulder.

"Mikasa! Is that you?!" he exclaimed, scanning his sister's form "Wha- what are you doing here?"

She rolled her eyes "I work here Eren. Remember?"

Embarrassed, he scratched his head, nervously laughing "Sorry, I kinda forgot"

"You know him?" Nathan interjected.

"He's my brother"

They watched as their senior looked two and fro between the siblings "I fail to see the resemblance"

"I'm adopted" Mikasa said it like it's no big deal.

"Oh" he said before returning his gaze to Eren "What did you come here for?"

"Oh! Y-Yeah! I came to tell you that your café's spot in the square's approved and I just needed you to sign this and I'll need those flyers"

"Wait here" Nathan nodded before going back inside the café.

"Why don't you come inside Eren?" she grabbed her brother's hand.

"No need Mikasa! It'll just be quick. Besides, I need to go over to a few more clubs anyway."

Nathan returned and gave Eren the papers. He said goodbye before thanking Mikasa for making him that bento. When he was gone, Mikasa turned to Nathan who was scanning his eyes over a piece of paper.

"Nathan, what did Eren mean about 'the café's spot has been approved'?"

He turned the paper for her to see and Mikasa's eyes turned slightly wide.

"Starting tomorrow, from 9am to 6pm, we're going to participate in the POWHIRI. We're stationed at the west side of the square and we're gonna be selling a few of Polar Bear's cakes and drinks to promote the café for more customers and you're going to help whether you like it or not. We have to get going now to set up the decorations so we wouldn't have to worry about those tomorrow. Come on Mikasa!"

"Wait, we're going now?!"

* * *

If looks could kill, Levi might've already killed half of the entire campus' population.

It all started just this morning. Okay, admittedly, he might've done a number on that girl but so what? It's not his fault. He can't help if he grew up with a potty mouth. His early years in the slums told him it's either kill or be killed and obviously, he didn't choose the one where people can push him around. In fact, intentionally or not, those words just came out of his mouth. Normally, he wouldn't waste time on anyone but there's just something about that _girl_ that screams _**"Bite Me"**_.

He felt it the first time he saw her in that alley. Those silver eyes of hers practically screamed defiance as if no force on earth can ever shake bring her down on her knees and then there was him. Levi, oh so used to where everything goes his way- where all his life either people cower him from fear, but there's the exception of him having respecting a handful of people.

This girl, Mikasa, however, is neither of those people. He doesn't know why but obviously his first impression of her told him to not respect her despite being a girl and she just emits an aura of authority, not the kind emitted by Nathaniel or Erwin; but the kind that rivals his own. The kind that told him that she will not yield that he has no power over her.

And Levi hates that. He hates having no power.

Okay then, if that's what she wants, then he'll be obliged to take up her challenge.

He'll bite her so hard it'll scar her to life.

Maybe they hated each other in the past life.

So, this unannounced war that they initiated started this morning. While he was jogging, some early bird students who were out early to either exercise or prepare for the festival gave them an oh so familiar glance. He knew those looks very well and he didn't like them at all.

Those looks screamed gossip and though he enjoys it if it's against others, he's not very happy when it's about _him_.

So unfortunately, the vice-president of the famous Saker Omni Delta Rho didn't enjoy his jog too much. In fact, it aggravated him more. And it didn't help when he returned that morning at the frat house when he walked in on the others talking about this morning's dispute.

" _-I'm just worried about Mikasa, she's not the type to just shout at anybody and believe me, Armin and I did a_ _ **lot**_ _of pranks on her"_

" _Well, Levi_ _ **did**_ _made her upset"_

" _She sounded so pissed off!"_

" _Mikasa was being nice! Why did Levi had to be such an ass-"_

" _Care to say that to my face, Jaeger?"_

 _The brunette went completely rigid at his senior's menacing voice. Gathering enough courage, he turned slowly and immediately regretted when he saw that glower._

" _W-What I meant was a-as-as… uhh… astute! Yeah, you're so astute!" Levi narrowed his eyes at the boy and before he could threaten him, Eren grabbed Connie's arm and a box "A-Anyways! We still have to go cover a lot of clubs and frats for the party so we gotta go! Later guys!"_

" _H-Hey Eren-!"_

* * *

At least, the others were wise enough to not continue the topic they were talking about. Jean's right though, he did piss her off and he did somewhat deserve this but how come he felt a bit surprised when he didn't find anything on the table?

Work with the festival didn't help either. In fact, he swore he'll skin the next person who starts looking and whispering at him from behind their hands. All this work for the POWHIRI is almost finished and he's in no mood to deal with these petty things.

Now, the members of ṦO∆R are gathered around the finished stage for the band tonight.

"Alright everyone, everything's set and ready for tonight so-"

 _ ***Grumble***_

They all turned comically at the shameless sound of Erd's stomach, who scratched his head in embarrassment.

"S-Sorry"

"Aaaanyway, as I was saying-"

 _ ***Grumble***_

It was Jean's turn.

"Sorry, can't help it, I haven't eaten anything since this morning!" he flushed. Eren snickered. "Don't laugh at me you dork! Don't go high and mighty just because Mikasa made you a packed lunch"

"Hey, I wasn't the only one she made lunch" his gaze hinted towards Connie who rose his hands in defense.

"E-Eren!"

"What?! Not you Connie! I understand she made one for this pipsqueak but why'd she make you one too?!"

"W-well, I did kind of helped her out with her groceries…"

"Tch"

"Would you guys stop it? This wouldn't help anybody, I'm hungry too"

"Heck, we're all hungry"

"Don't blame Mikasa. It's not her obligation to cook for us and she's already expressed her gratitude by letting her stay in the frat house. Plus, you shouldn't have expected her to keep doing it, she's not a maid, you know"

"Tch, it's not my fault. I'm not the one who pissed her off"

Levi narrowed his eyes at the blonde before Erwin faked a cough to prevent any further argument. Even the president admits that he's getting cranky 'cause he's hungry.

"Gentlemen, settle down please. Let's just get this thing over with" he cleared his throat "Thanks for all your efforts and in just a few more hours, we can finally get this party started and we'll all be able to grab something to eat. So for now, until we get the last of the approval papers from the head teachers, you're all free to enjoy the festivities tonight but don't forget that you're all supervisors so I don't want to hear any trouble; and I mean you two"

Jean and Eren looked abashed and Erwin gave one loud clap before giving his brothers a big smile.

"Well! I'll see you all later! Everybody have fun!"

And they dispersed. With a sigh of relief, Levi jumped from the speaker he's sitting on before he felt Erwin's hand on his shoulder.

"What do you want? I've done my job"

"That's not exactly what I wanted to talk to you about"

"Tch, then what is it about, Blondie?"

"You shouldn't have done that, you know. She's special to the director"

"Don't tell me you're afraid of him" he sneered

"Not really, but I do respect my higher-ups. You should've noticed by now from the stares people are giving you. It's only a matter of time before they start making up things between you two"

"So you heard?"

Erwin rolled his eyes "Levi, the whole campus heard you. But really, a little birdie told me that the news started rolling about a certain Saker giving a certain oriental a ride through a raging storm to a certain fraternity house"

"And by little birdie…"

"Yeah, the loud one"

"Well you can tell tweety that it's none of her business. I don't know why but something about that girl makes me break her apart"

"Maybe it's because she reminds you of yourself"

He paused at this, completely taken aback from his statement before turning and glaring at his old friend.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh nothing!" Erwin smiled innocently "Anyway, I gotta go meet up with Hanji and Mike. We're just going to talk about some leftovers for the school paper. Care to join?"

He snorted "And risk Hanji to tie me down to a chair with all her stupid questions? I don't think so. I've had my fill on this topic for one day and I'm hungry"

"Okay then just… please, Levi, if you could just… you know, it wouldn't hurt to be a little friendlier, right?"

"I'm not friendly"

"Okay, maybe a bit nice-?"

"I'm not nice either"

"Just! Don't piss her off any further. Give her a break, it's not even a week since she got here and you're already at each other's throats. I'll see you later"

* * *

"Wahhhh! Mikasa! It looks good on you!"

"Yeah Mikasa! It's a great fit!"

"You look great sis!"

"Looks good"

Mikasa fiddled her forefinger and thumb around the blue, checkered cloth tied around her neck- still not fully used to taking off her red scarf.

"You think so?"

"Yeah!"

She smiled at the three people who cheered for her- namely, Sasha (who nearly choked her to life while she was helping Nathan decorate their stall. Apparently, Sasha's archery club is just a few stalls from hers), Connie and Eren (who came, to her relief, just in time before Sasha could bombard her with questions about the fact she's staying in the campus' most esteemed frat house. She's safe, for now).

"I'm surprised you had one made for me already" Mikasa said to Nathan, who looked at her approvingly. "How did you manage to get me this already?"

Nathan only smiled and shrugged at her innocently, "I actually had it ordered for you since the first day you applied. Let's just say that my gut told me that you'll be worth it and you _did_ do a good job with your training today. I guess that's another point for my intuition"

"Yeah but how did you know Mikasa's measurements?" Sasha asked the Alaskan in which he just shrugged.

"Gut feeling?" Eren and Connie chorused.

"Make that two points"

Mikasa chuckled, so far so good and for moment there, she thought that she might actually forget why she's pissed of this morning…

Then again, nothing just can't seem to be going her way because the moment she whipped her head back to her boss, she immediately frowned.

"Hey Levi"

"Hi Nathan"

Much to everyone's shocked gazes, both Nathan and Levi gave each other a bro slap and since this is Nathaniel S. Liam we're talking about, the guy who always plays by the innocent card, he deliberately introduced the two people- one of which whose glower could make a grown man cry and the other, an amused, taunting smirk graced his lips.

"Mikasa, this is Levi, Polar Bear's number one patron. And Levi, this Mikasa, my star employee"

And Nathan had a sweet smile on his face too.

As for the other three, now's the time they for them to choose to either

Watch them make another episode.

Or

Scram and take cover.

" _Ackerman_ " Levi drawled.

"Careful, I didn't quite see you down there, **midget** "

 **SOAR (ṦO∆R)**

 **Saker Omni Delta Rho**

* * *

 **YES! I finally got the chance to update! This is probably the shortest compared to the previous chapter so sorry guys, a lot's just been happening lately. Expect more action in the next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

' _Midget? Seriously?_ ' Levi rolled his eyes "You're not that very creative, are you?"

Mikasa's scowl only got deeper as both of the opposing parties settled for a silent death match instead. Meanwhile, Connie, Sasha, and Eren were finding ways on how they could possibly break these two apart. Nathan, however… well, he still has that happy, amused smile on his face.

"Oh I'm sorry, I should've known other people already called you that" she said sweetly but it was filled with mockery "I don't blame them though. They are just telling the truth"

He snorted, crossing his arms "I'm well aware of that part of my genes"

She mocked a sigh of relief "That's good. Then I won't have to worry about hurting your _wittle feewings, chibi_ " she pursed her lips, bending down a bit to further slur him.

This, however, caused his blood to boil ten times over. Not only did she insult him by talking to him like some child but she just called him something in her foreign language- though he may not know the meaning, he just feels that it's something he definitely will not like.

"What the fuck did you just call me?"

When the Alaskan thought that they've gained too much attention from the other students passing by, he bravely took the step between the French and the Oriental, preventing Mikasa from saying something back.

"Alright children that's enough, break it up"

They both gave him a glare that promised him death but even that wasn't enough to wipe off the grin on his face.

"Nathan-"Mikasa started

"We're done here for today, thanks for your help Mikasa" he turned to her "You're free to go now and I suggest you enjoy the pre-festivities tonight because by tomorrow, you're gonna be busy helping me with the stall so make sure you don't soil your uniform" It's as if he's oblivious to the killing intention between her and the ṦO∆R vice-president. However, Nathan didn't give them both a chance to retort and continued "Be at the café same time tomorrow, alright?" he turned to the other three "You three, why don't you guys show Mikasa around and have fun tonight?" he said so casually but his tone gave off the notion that they should get going, _**now**_.

Not wanting to be on the clawed end of the campus' Polar Bear, Eren and Sasha grabbed her arms while Connie took her bag.

"Come on Mikasa! Why don't we look around and see the other stalls?" Eren grinned at her nervously

"Y-Yeah! Oh! I know! Let's go check on ours first! Maybe you'd be interested in joining the archery club!" Sasha tugged and soon, they were rounding the corner to Sasha's stall

"Hey wait a second you brats-!" Levi barked but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Knowing who it was, he glowered at him while inside, he's weighing the options of whether he should hit this bastard he calls friend or not "What are you playing at, Nathaniel?"

He chuckled "Why Levi, I honestly have no idea what you're accusing me about" he said before crossing his arms "But I can't let you go breaking her. Not now that I finally found someone who really knows their way around the kitchen." He shrugged and tilted his head towards the boxes behind him "Tell you what, why don't you help me take these back to the café? I forgot that I have something for you"

As much as she wanted to march back there and finish this matter once and for all, she wasn't oblivious to the hidden message Nathan used and she just couldn't say no when Eren starts begging.

"Can you tell me why you're staying at ṦO∆R's frat house, now?" Sasha whined as she stared at the cubicle where her new friend is changing out of her uniform. She sat on top of the sinks of the public restroom, her legs swinging to and fro.

Mikasa sighed after pulling off her blouse. She trusted the girl that she wouldn't dare ask that sensitive (?) question when there's a possibility that there are other people who could be listening. Then again, she already knew that she'll be getting these types of questions sooner or later.

"There were no other places left for me to stay so the director asked them a favor to let me stay with them. Besides, my brother's staying there so it's fine" she pulled up her skinny jeans.

The brunette hummed "You must be really somethin' for the director to ask _that_ fraternity personally"

"Well, I _may_ have passed the Trinity scholarship" she heard the girl slip and yelp on one of the sinks in surprise.

"YOU'RE A TRINITY SCHOLAR?!" Mikasa flinched. She swore her outburst just shook the entire restroom

"Yes"

"Wow!" she squealed "No wonder you're so special! That explains everything! You not only got the hardest scholarship in the country but you're brother's a Saker! That is so awesome! I can't believe I have a friend _this_ amazing!"

Mikasa's body froze upon hearing that last sentence. She blinked twice, no, thrice?

"You… I'm your… friend?"

She heard Sasha's squealing die down from the other side "Well, yeah. I mean, we are. Aren't we?"

That was the most nerve-wracking five seconds of her life and she couldn't be happier when the oriental finally opened the door of the cubicle with a small, shy smile on her lips

"Yeah, we are"

~! !#

"No… seriously?" Nathan could barely contain his chuckle.

"You didn't know?" Levi asked in monotone, finally calm enough to let any topic concerning a certain raven-head come into play.

"If I knew, then I wouldn't have bothered introducing you two." He heaved as he took out a box from the fridge and settle it on the counter in front of Levi. The contents of it clanged, indicating something metallic. "I heard around the grapevine that a girl's staying in ṦO∆R but that's not the first time someone used that to get your frat's attention. Then I saw your frat jacket with her" at that, Nathan had his chin propped up by his hand. Looking at the other person with a teasing grin.

"She failed to wash it properly"

Nathan rolled his eyes and finally took out the contents of the box.

If Levi was surprised, he did a wonderful job not showing it.

"You didn't" he finally let out a smirk and the blonde tossed him a can of сумерки, the best non-alcoholic beer in the world. "You outdid yourself Nathaniel" he didn't bother looking, wasting no time and opened the can. Downing two big gulps.

Nathan sighed in content after drinking a few gulps of his own "It's one of the perks of having a Russian grandmother who adores their grandchild. Oh and don't forget to give some to old man Regan. He'll castrate me if he finds out I didn't get him some"

Levi mentally shook his head. Now he understands how he was able to get the best spot in the entire square for his booth in the welcome festival despite the early requests of the other clubs. This is the director's favorite non-alcoholic beer after all.

Cheating bastard. Well, not that he's complaining. Levi bets that _if_ the campus allows alcohol- even on special occasions (security is really tight in the academy. Not so much as a peeling knife can get through the gates without a record and a permit), then he would be drinking on his favorite non-chocolate beverage by now.

"That doesn't explain why she has it in the first place and from what I saw, I bet she'd rather die than become a fan of yours"

Levi stared at him for a while. Choosing his words well with the wise and annoying bear.

"Compromised circumstance"

"Ahh…" Oh Levi, he's always terrible at lying whenever the situation doesn't calls for it. Nathan nods. "Well!" he chirps, bringing his arms up before circling around the counter to carry the box of beers "Don't worry, I'm sure the two of you will get along… eventually." Levi frowns "Ya know it's inevitable anyway. You'll be seeing her every time you come here and let's not forget the fact that you two are staying under the same roof"

"Don't remind me" he grumbled.

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The pre-festivities last night was… surprisingly fun.

Mikasa can't help admit that. Despite her run-in with the campus dwarf, in the end, her day didn't turn out to be all that bad. She suppose she has those three to thank for that. Sasha toured her around and even though the polarity between them is obviously evident, Mikasa finds herself enjoying the girl's company. It's as if she makes up the upbeat and happy-go-lucky side that Mikasa lacks. Her only complaint about her is her seemingly insatiable appetite. She buys snacks around every turn and being the way she is, Mikasa tends to be strict on her diet.

Then there's Connie. Among the other ṦO∆R members, aside from Eren, she appreciates his company the most. There's not much to say about him aside that he's nice, friendly, careful on what he says and knows how to read the situation. The latter is the trait she appreciates the most in anybody. He's not into sports unlike the others in the frat or your stereotypical jock. Then she learns that his and Sasha's fathers were ṦO∆R brothers. Connie just wants to honor his father's name and she finds it pretty sweet of him.

Then last night, she was thankful that she agreed to come along with them. She may not be into the loud music, dancing, and partying, but she just loves game booths. There's just this nice feeling of satisfaction whenever she wins a prize by doing simple objectives. She appreciated the culture-themed stalls the most- especially the Japanese themed ones. Mikasa met some of the Japanese students and having to meet other people who shares the same language does make her feel pleasant and a bit nostalgic.

So one can easily deduce that all she did during the first night of festivities were playing on the stalls, which she did effortlessly. If Nathan said that they're going to be as busy as he said they will for the entire POWHIRI, then she might as well make the most of her free time as she can.

48671

"How big are you really under those rags?"

Mikasa stammers, pausing midway from removing her shirt "Uhmm… I don't…"

"You look like a B but you're actually a D" Annie says as-a-matter-of-factly. Leaning over her locker in the girl's changing room to wait for the raven-haired "I can't believe people still wear binders, or is it just you?"

Mikasa shrugs "They get in the way. I never pegged you to be concerned about… these things"

The blonde shrugs back "I don't; but I do like to keep my pride in check"

"Figures" she gives a small smile before leading the way out of the room "Where are Berthodt and Reiner by the way?"

She waves a hand "Back in the house, taking care of some stuff"

"You mean _your_ stuff"

"You catch on fast. I like that" they giggled before Annie continued "Anyway, heard about what happened on your first day here. Had a bad day?"

"Something like that. I'm really sorry about the… bag. If you want, I can pay you back"

"Don't bother. Its not like it's the first time something like that happens, broke a few myself. Besides, your fee's got that covered"

"Well, if you're sure. Thanks for showing me this place. Its perfect"

"No problem. My family owns most of the gyms here anyway" before Mikasa could react to that fact, Annie continued "Hey, no offense but I work out on my own"

"Oh, that's not a problem. I'd rather go over my routine on my own anyway"

"Good. Now, there's just three things you might wanna know if you're sticking to this place in the long run." She holds up one finger "One, follow the rules in this place and you'll be fine. Second, old man Regan over there," she points at the gray-haired man behind the reception area reading the morning newspaper. Mikasa finds out it's the manager. "He's a big grouch but if you need anything, just tell him and don't hesitate to mention my name"

Mikasa blinks "I'm not-"

Annie shrugs "Don't be shy about it. It's not every day I meet another girl who's serious in this stuff like I do. I don't have that many friends aside from those two blockheads so it feels kinda nice. I'm glad you're not just some pretty face" Mikasa blushes a bit at that, she never does well with compliments anyway "And third, if you don't want to sour your day, you might want to stay away from that one patron of this place. I know you can handle yourself but I'm more concerned of frequently replacing any of our equipment"

"Is he _that_ bad?"

"He's a big jackass and his OCD in cleaning can really tick you off, that's for sure"

' _Cleaning?_ ' Mikasa wonders "I can handle myself" the oriental swivels her head from side to side "Which one is he anyway?"

Then the sliding doors opened to reveal the- in Mikasa's terms- the campus Dwarf.

"That's him"

 **SOAR (ṦO∆R)**

 **Saker Omni Delta Rho**


	8. Chapter 8

If Levi is surprised, he did a damn good job in not showing it. The moment he steps inside the gym he frequents on since last semester, he immediately felt the cold leave his system from outside his eyes fell on the irksome oriental that seemed to stand out from everybody (and everything) in the room. Neither knew how long they stared at each other but it was Levi who broke it with a brow arched up.

He then deliberately ignores her and her female companion and walks up to the counter where the old, yet muscled man greeted him.

"Yo Levi. Finally decided to show up, huh?"

"I see you're still kicking, old man" he responds and brings up a plastic full of cans "Nathan said you'd castrate him if he forgot to give you some"

Regan beamed and quickly checked the contents before bellowing in laughter "Damn right I will!" He nods to the men's changing room "You go on ahead kid"

He gives the man a nod before walking forward, stopping in front of the two women who kept their eyes on him the moment he enters the facility.

"Annie" he nods to the tall, blonde heiress to her father's company in Netherlands.

"Levi" she acknowledges.

Levi finally turns his gaze Mikasa and if he doesn't know any better, he could say that she's not glaring at him- at least he doesn't sense any sort of murderous intent from her compared to the last couple of days. She just… stares at him.

he should be confused. Heck he should be very suspicious that this girl might be plotting something behind his back. Instead, he smirks.

"Mikasa"

She blinks. Ahh, there's her glare "Chibi"

He snorts before walking passed them, mumbling an almost inaudible "Impolite brat"

When he's finally gone, Annie raises a brow at her new friend. "I didn't ask at first when I learned you share the same family name but now I'd like to know. Are you-?"

"I can assure you, Annie. That midget and I, I'd rather get rolled over by a truck than be related to him"

The blonde doesn't responds right away, still slightly taken aback at the thought that she just openly insulted the infamous Saker and, now that you think about it, he didn't retaliate?

So she stifled her laughter and smirks "Well, if you're sure. That's just about all of it" she grabs her bag "I'll be heading over the treadmill first. See ya around Mikasa"

85584

Mikasa just finished refilling her water bottle when she went over to the punching bags. Relieved when she saw a new one in replace of the one she ' _accidentally'_ destroyed. Her small smile turns into a frown when he saw him standing before the sand-filled bag beside her with a pile of… were those wipes?

He catches her looking at him and she whips her head in return. Deciding not to give him any more of her attention, Mikasa adjusts the fingerless gloves on her palms before stepping a foot back and setting her body in an offensive stance.

With a deep breath, she gives the bag a jab, making it swing back a bit followed by a number of short, quick blows. Ending her combos with a swift side kick, catching the heavy bag from its big swing with an open palm. She smiles a bit, happy that she still has it.

Then she hears another set of blows on leather material but this one is louder and sounded… stronger. She watches Levi give his punching bag a string of strong hooks and jabs, the force making the bag swing farther and dodging it when it comes towards him like an assailant with accurate speed before countering it with more blows, strong enough to make it change directions.

Mikasa, whether she realizes it or not, stares. Mesmerized at his footwork and especially at his speed; each step turning him into a blur. Just when she was about to scold herself for praising him, Levi ends his attacks with his own side kick- which is stronger than hers based on how far the bag swung. He stops it with his own open palm before looking at her.

Then she sees it, in those icy-blue eyes.

A challenge.

"Show off" she mutters, loud enough for him to hear but he too, sees the fire kindle on those lifeless black orbs.

Challenge accepted.

Before they knew it, they began dancing around. Kicking, punching and dodging, silently showing off against each other their own moves. Neither stepped down, much less feel intimidated with the other. Both were determined to out show the other that they didn't even realized the audience they drew as the heat escalates to the point they were audibly panting and crying with each blow they give.

The audience didn't even know whether to feel amazed or feel sorry for the punching bags, both of which looks like they're gonna give out with one more blow and the chains they hung on start to become loose.

Levi and Mikasa kept at it and as their dance caused them to touch each other's backs, they instinctively turned to each other. Their fists collided and both met each other's kicks with their own, moving in sync as if they knew what the other is going to do next. Then the audience held their breaths, one of them twisted so their hand was on her shoulder with his other fist ready to slam on the girl's face; while the other swooped down, a leg just centimeters away from behind his knee to render him unbalanced, her thoughts ready to strike his Achille's tendon next.

Then they stared.

No words, no curses, no names, not even signs of acknowledgement;

They just stared.

Then the manager's shout echoed throughout the gym,

"HEY! No sparring outside the ring and not without wearing proper gear! If you want to bash each other's skulls then take it outside, you brats!"

At that, Mikasa blinked and her eyes broke from his to the wall clock above him.

She panicked, pushing him off with the remains of her strength before making a dash towards the women's changing room.

When his mind cleared and after he glared the audience away, Levi stood up and proceeded to clean up the bag he used. And hers.

Meanwhile, not far where the treadmills were located, Annie never felt so amused and entertained for a long time that she gave a ghostly smile.

'I guess moving to this Academy wasn't a bad idea after all'

4382048

"I am honestly, truly, wholeheartedly so-"

"I don't want to hear it" Nathan says sternly "Now stay still" he fumbles around before stepping back and giving an accomplished smirk "There! Perfect!"

"Where did you even get this?"

"It just arrived actually. I got a gut feeling that you'll turn up late one day but not this soon"

"This is ridiculous"

"It's for promotional purposes"

"It's stupid" she almost exclaims

"It's your punishment!" he scolds her and she snaps her mouth shut, cheeks flaring.

"Here's the first batch" he shoves a tray of assorted bite-sized cakes to her before pointing outside their event tent "Now get out there and lure me some customers!"

5843795

Eren Jaeger never thought that breathing could be so difficult. Until now.

"Eren" he hears his sister growl. He knows he should be intimidated but he just can't help it. Not when she's looking like… that.

"D-Did something- s-something hap-happened?" the brunette struggles between breaths. He just knows his lips are probably red from all the biting he's done and the way his hands fisted, body shaking and eyes showing signs of tears, he's gonna burst.

"Nathan. I was late" she grumbles and Eren nearly lost it, his hands shooting to cover his mouth.

Mikasa glares at him more.

"Hey Eren! I got our job for toda-"

Connie freezes the moment his eyes set on where his Saker brother stared at. The source shot a menacing look that would've made him wet his pants and he shakes; the two clipboards he's holding threatened to drop from his grasp.

Connie Springer's body shook, but not out of fear.

Then a pair of students walked up to Mikasa, one of them has their phone in hand.

"U-uhmm, excuse me miss" she begins shyly and Mikasa, cheeks still flushed, turns to her .

"Would you like a sample?" she offers the tray of cakes

"Oh sure!" the other chimed and both of the girls squealed in delight

"Wow! These are good!"

"They're delicious!"

"Shirokuma café," she read "That sounds like a great place! Sorry, we're freshmen here, where's that?"

"It's in Saoirse Valley" she points to her right "That's our stall over there. If you have any more questions, you can ask him"

"Thanks miss! But we would like to ask you one more question though"

Mikasa tilts her head and if she only looked, she would've seen Eren and Connie hyperventilating.

Both girls smiled at each other before exclaiming "Can we take a picture with you?!"

Only a few things in this world can make Mikasa break her ice-queen façade and unfortunately, this is one of them. She doesn't like taking pictures- detests them sometimes- but given her situation, she couldn't help the heat that rose up her creamy cheeks.

Poor Mikasa could only nod, knowing that denying these potential customers will only upset her boss and she does not want to have another earful.

The girls squealed before placing themselves beside her. One held up the cellphone, posing for a selfie. Because Mikasa has a tray in hand, she could only give a small smile and with the other hand, placed it under her tilted head.

The action may have been forced but it was convincing enough.

"Thank you!"

"We'll go check this place out!"

The oriental thanked them and sighed in relief. Unfortunately, that caught the attention of the other students and soon, they all flocked over her.

When Nathan saw this, he stepped in the crowd and tried to push them away.

Mikasa would've been relieved and thanked the gesture, if only he didn't say the following words.

"Alright, alright back up!" then he holds up a box that seemed to have come from out of nowhere "The sample's free but picture taking costs one buck, alright?" he smiles a tooth-filled grin "Okay! Everybody line up!"

And that's how she became the center of attention in no less than ten minutes with people taking selfies and group pictures with her left and right.

Amidst the mass of people, she didn't notice the person who came up towards them. A clipboard and the ṦO∆R emblem flashing on his armband. He squints his eyes on the crowd blocking the road before addressing his fellow Sakers- who seemed to enjoy watching whatever's happening in the crowd.

"Oi! You two" his gruff voice snapped Eren and Connie to attention "What the fuck are you standing around for? You should be halfway done with your rounds about now. And what the hell's with this? They're blocking the way! Its our job to make sure everything's in order. You rookies should know how to at least handle this"

"But Levi!" Eren tries to reason but their senior was already marching towards the center of the crowd.

Once he was there, he landed a hand on the person everybody's fussing over with.

"Hey you-"

"Mikasa! It's my turn!" they hear Sasha squeal. When did she get here anyway?

"Mikasa?" then he turns the shoulder he's holding on.

The action caused the hood on her head to fall back and it revealed her startled, red cheeks. Then Levi felt as if his world stopped. He looked up and down at her form. She was wearing a one suit animal costume. A polar bear costume to be exact. It was white, full of pseudo fur along with the café's checkered blue scarf and black apron.

Mikasa Ackerman, was wearing a polar bear costume.

And what's worse (better?), she's wearing a pair of fluffy polar bear ears.

For the first time in his life, Levi does not know what to do or say. He felt his throat go dry and the hand on her shoulder fell on her arm. His eyes continued to stare at her blushing face, a an expression he never thought possible to witness on this impolite minx; until his gaze went up to her ear headbands.

Then without so much as a warning, he grabbed an ear.

It squeaked.

There was a moment of dead silence and the next thing that happened, was Eren and Connie, finally burst out. Laughing so hard they could barely stand up and hold their stomachs, tears falling down their cheeks. Sasha squealed even more and more people flocked over her.

As for Levi, well, he was suddenly standing at the nearest tree, a hand on the trunk to steady himself and the other on his mouth.

Whether his body shaking was because of laughter or disgust didn't matter. Mikasa never felt the urge to mutilate someone until now.

58439085

She was sitting back in their event tent. Uncharacteristically, stuffing her face with the bread Nathan prepared like a raging, hormonal teenager. Mikasa might be strict on her diet but for now, she couldn't care less. She just can't believe the humiliation she went through just now.

Beside her, Levi watched. Sipping occasionally on his cup of hot chocolate, his own piece of bread finished. She catches his stare and meets it with a glower.

"If you dare laugh-"

"I'm not" he cuts her off but continues to stare, his expression empty like always.

"What the heck are you even doing here?"

He raises an eyebrow and nods at Nathan as if it weren't that obvious "Lunch break. I'm also assigned to oversee your booth"

Her glare intensifies.

"If you're trying to look intimidating, you could at least remove the headband. It's not helping at all"

The raven-haired tried her best to suppress the blush and yanked the ear headband from her head. She groans finishing her bread, this time slower with a glass of water. Mikasa takes a deep breath to calm her nerves, rationalizing and debating with herself about her current state and reminding herself to stay cool.

' _It's just for today'_ she breaths ' _I won't ever be late again and this will_ _ **never**_ _happen again'_

"Hey" Levi's voice breaks her thoughts "There're crumbs on your cheek"

Before both even realized it, Levi's hand was on her cheek. His knuckle brushed off the crumbs on her creamy skin until his knuckle fell on the corners of her lips. Then for the second time that day, time seemed to have stopped.

If only they knew that both their hearts beat at the same time, in sync- like how they moved in the gym earlier- and pounded twice as fast.

Fortunately(?) Nathan called out to Mikasa, telling her that her break's over and orders her to get back to work.

"Thanks…" she mutters almost inaudibly but Levi heard it.

He watched her go back to her spot, giving away free samples and letting other students take pictures with her. Levi stops beside Nathan, who just brought out another batch of bite-sized sweets.

"And you say I'm the one giving her a bad time" the French crossed his arms

His friend only responded with a foxy smile "Nahh, I'd say she's having a good time" he says confidently before turning to the Saker "Wanna take a picture with her?"

Levi looked at him as if it offended him "I don't want to get nightmares, Nathan. I'll go back to my rounds" he says before slipping off the tent.

Nathan watched his back with a sage smile "Oh don't worry, I'm sure you'll have pleasant dreams from now on" he says before tapping his phone in his pocket. Smiling contentedly with the picture he shot of them just moments ago. ' _Definitely gonna make it in this year's yearbook'_

 **SOAR (ṦO∆R)**

 **Saker Omni Delta Rho**


	9. Chapter 9

"GG! Erwin wins" Gunther, the arbiter, proclaimed the winner.

"What?! But I thought it was his flag!"

"That's what I wanted you to think"

Jean groaned at the smug fraternity president across him. He was about to retort for another round of Games of the Generals until the front door slammed open, followed by thundering footsteps that if given the right pressure, would've rocked the foundations of the fraternity house.

"Step aside, moody princess coming through" Erd warned jokingly but almost spilled his cup of coffee when said girl tossed him a glare before making her way to her room.

Shaking his head, Erwin stood and addressed the two ṦO∆R members who followed through the door after the raging raven. "What happened?"

"Levi happened" Connie answered, his brows knotted close with uncertainty for the situation and concern for the raven-haired.

"Dammit, not again… it's only the first week of the semester…" the president whispered between teeth, "What did he do this time?"

"I'm not really sure but when we got there… I think its bordering on humiliation this time"

With a deep sigh, the blonde rubbed his temples to calm himself. This was worse than he imagined. He's starting to regret accepting the director's proposal but he can't exactly deny his request- even though he asked nicely, the fact remains that he had no power to refuse. Mikasa got along just fine with the other sakers, it's just Levi that's destroying the harmony in the house. Erwin made a mental note to talk to the Napoleon-incarnate once he gets back. The last thing he needed was an all-out war.

"I'm getting worried about Mikasa, Eren" Connie turned to his brooding fraternity brother who kept his lips shut all this time. "She's really nice but if those two don't make up soon… I don't want her to take her anger out on us… that is, if we can just think of something that could cheer her up"

Eren took a deep breath, he was more concerned actually for his sister. He's never seen her so pissed like this for a long time. If he can, he'll try to talk Levi out of it but because of his weird ' _hero-worship_ ' and the fact that he still wants to live long enough to see his grandchildren, then there's really not that much option for him. If he's completely honest, he doesn't even know why the frat's vice president bothered to even say a word to her. Sure they got off on a rocky start but that doesn't mean he can just go and harass her like that whenever he wants. In fact he's sure that Levi doesn't even have a reason or excuse for his actions because… well, he's Levi! But the last time someone picked a fight with him, it ended with the offender switching schools… then again that was a guy. Levi wouldn't hit a girl, would he?

If he has anything to say about their tryst, is that it's pretty stupid and silly. In Mikasa's defense, she hasn't done anything wrong. She knows when she's done something that has offend someone and will try to make amends if needed. Everything went fine after the freshmen welcome party last week until Levi started riling the half-Japanese again two days ago.

Why hasn't Mikasa exacted any revenge yet anyway?

Eren sighed, but then he pondered Connie's idea.

A way to cheer Mikasa up? Hmm… speaking from experience, nothing can cheer up his sister once she's like that. It's either they just leave her be and give her some time or she blow off some steam. The second option never ended pretty though. Then again…

The brunette's head snapped up at Erwin.

* * *

"Mikasa, the meat's already dead, you don't have to stab it like some fresh kill"

The ravenette sighed, ceasing her ' _stabbing'_ of her lunch.

"Sorry"

"If you're not gonna eat, there's always room in my stomach" Sasha grinned suggestively. With a look of indifference, Mikasa pulled her plate closer to hers before shoving a spoonful in her mouth to which the brunette pouted. They continued to eat with the noise around the cafeteria blurring around them. There were only at least three spoonful left on her plate until her friend noticed her glowering over nothing again.

"Baka chibi…" she grumbled in her tongue. Though the brunette only know very little, she guessed that it's along the lines of ' _stupid'_ or ' _idiot'_ , plus she's heard the ravenette call a particular saker that ' _chibi'_ insult before.

"Is it still about yesterday?" Annie cut in when she approached the table. Sasha greeted her to which she greeted back. They became acquainted after the freshmen party by proxy of Mikasa. They got along just fine except that she did find Sasha's black hole of a stomach a bit unsettling compared to her own diet. She decided that she'll just have to get used to it, Sasha's a nice girl anyway. She scooted over so the blonde could sit beside her.

So it's two on one, huh? Glaring up to her two friends Mikasa glowered, "What he did was unnecessary and uncalled for"

"Look on the bright side, at least it didn't get any worse" the brunette shrugged, popping a piece of grape in her open mouth.

"That's what I'm afraid of" Mikasa finished whatever's left of her plate, leaving not even a grain of rice as was taught to her since childhood to which her friend appreciated greatly. She was taught the same thing by her father.

"Call me ignorant but I really don't get why he's still bugging you" she pouted after a ' _hey'_ when Mikasa and Annie reached over to also have a piece of the sweet fruit.

Meanwhile, Annie remained silent as she gauged the reaction of the ravenette. She's already seen the two go at it- albeit subtlety, at the gym but she didn't know that it went as far as inside the campus. It was the first time she heard the Japanese complain about something (or someone) since they met when they had lunch together three days ago. She's still amused at how ruffled her feathers were.

"He can't help it. He's the earthen embodiment of one of the seven demon generals who came from hell just to torment me" she said immediately without a pause and full of confidence as if what she said was the truth.

Sasha only laughed nervously at how serious she said it. She could clearly see the table the ṦO∆R members often used behind the ravenette; remembering that she purposely sat on that side of the table so she wouldn't see the other raven-haired talking to their blonde frat president while they also ate lunch, catching him looking at her friend once or twice. She couldn't tell if he's only looking or glaring though. Those two must have once killed each other in their previous lives.

"You know…" a thought struck Sasha and she couldn't help but voice it out, earing both her friend's attentions. "They did say that when a guy teases a girl, it means that he likes her"

Annie coughed quietly on her drink while Mikasa stared back at the brunette as if she's gone mad, her face pale with disgust.

"Please don't tell me you just said that" Mikasa's voice dropped and the cafeteria felt chilly all of a sudden.

"Okay! Okay! I didn't say anything!" Sasha brought her hands up in defense.

"But you know, as weird as it sounds, I wouldn't mind seeing that happen" Annie interjected with an amused grin as she casually sipped on her juice.

"You've got to be kidding me…" it was the blonde's turn to receive a look of disgust. "Which side are you on?"

"I'm on no one's side except mine" she shrugged, turning to the brunette beside her "Besides, aren't you curious on what'll it be like if those two actually ended up together?"

The girl pondered that question carefully. Placing a finger over her chin while she looked up at the ceiling to think.

"Well they _do_ have a few things in common…" she heard Mikasa growl "Nope, a lot of things" she dared to smile.

Mikasa threw her hands up in exasperation, groaning at what her friends just said. "I can't believe you guys"

"We're your friends. It's our job to rile you up and laugh at you and your problems before we cheer you up" Annie said as-a-matter-of-factly. "And now that we're done with the laughing part, why don't we go get some ice cream? Your classes won't start after two hours, right? My treat"

"Good" Mikasa nodded firmly after hearing the word ' _ice cream_ '. She stood up and grabbed her books before strapping her messenger bag over her shoulder, followed by Sasha who squealed in delight for some dessert. "Let me just drop these off in my locker. I've been craving for some ube since yesterday"

"What's ube?" the blonde asked.

"Oh! Is that the color violet one?" Sasha perked up, flanking Mikasa's side while Annie flanked the other. "I heard that it's really good!"

"You mean the purple yam? I've always wanted to try it"

"Don't worry, you won't be disappointed" Finally letting her problem about a certain manlet off her shoulders, Mikasa smiled before laughing with the other two out of the cafeteria with their arms hooked with each other's.

 **~0~**

"Careful, if you stare at her too long she'll melt"

Levi spared Erwin an unamused look before finishing another tart.

"They say that when a guy teases a girl too much, it means that he likes her"

This time, Levi threw him a glare that could cut ice. It didn't faze the blonde however because he only grinned and cross his arms over his chest over the raven-head's reaction.

"I'm just saying" he shrugged.

"You're disgusting" his deep voice fell into a lower timbre accompanied with a scowl.

"Well how are you supposed to explain it?"

Levi finished his meal and was wiping the crumbs off his hands with an arsenal of alcohol and wet wipes before he answered.

"She's… fun"

"Fun?" Erwin almost doubled over "You actually know how to have fun?"

This did not amuse the raven-head though. He glared at his fraternity's president all the while the blonde laughed until it died down, wiping an imaginary tear out of his eye and Levi sighed in annoyance. He looked back to the object of their discussion to see Annie joining their table.

"I find it… amusing… seeing her so angry"

"Now you're just being sadistic"

"Maybe" he shrugged.

They fell back into silence as Levi patiently waited Erwin to finish his lunch. Occupying himself to watching the half-blooded girl. To Erwin however, he had to blink twice or thrice to make sure he's not seeing things. After all, even he would be surprised if the stone-cold gremlin before him softened his gaze when Mikasa and her friends walked out of the cafeteria with a smile on her face.

* * *

Levi almost let his body fall unceremoniously on his pristine-made bed out of exhaustion. Fortunately he was able to collect himself lest he'll have to make his bed before changing. One of the perks of being in ṦO∆R with either president or vice-president as the title, is having the privilege of having your own room and shower. He doesn't really mind having a roommate but the possibility of coming back on a tiresome day to a room that looked like it was ransacked by a tornado is a nightmare. Also, even though he's the worst clean-freak there is, he doesn't like cleaning other's messes the most.

With a clean shirt and pants on, the feeling of freshness of his body and coolness of his bed made sleeping a luxury for his tired bones. Good thing that it's a Saturday tomorrow, he'll do his homework then. Usually he'll stay up as late as it needs just to study or finish his schoolwork but even Levi will snatch the opportunity for doing the work tomorrow as long as it's not a school night. Especially when he just got back from a meeting with the other fraternities and sororities. Even though they were given the chance to invite new members during the welcome party, they are entitled to continue the recruitment up to next week (along with the clubs). . .

Will Mikasa join a sorority?

If she does, then she might just move out of the frat house.

Levi tsked at the ceiling above. Why would he even care? If Mikasa moves out then good riddance! That's one headache off his list… but then why is he also scowling at that idea? Then his mind drifted to his conversation with Erwin earlier at lunch. He didn't lie. He did find Mikasa's irritation entertaining. Seeing her tense and flaring is way better than seeing her walking around like a zombie… he likes the fire sparking in her dead eyes and so far, her being angry is the only way he could see those hidden stars.

Well, there's also when she's in a comfortable moment with her adoptive brother. But seeing those two so close even if their relationship is purely that of siblings makes him uneasy. It feels so… unfair-

As if splashed by cold water, Levi shook his head as if it would physically deprive him of where his thoughts were going. He knew exactly what he'll be thinking of next if he let his mind continue down that path and if he's perfectly honest, he doesn't want to venture there… not yet anyway. The thought of the possibility of him having… of him being ' _attracted'_ to the woman sharing his last name makes him initially gag… initially.

He's still a young man after all and he will admit it if he's questioned if a particular woman's assets are appealing- but only if he's questioned. He'll never admit such absurdities out loud so freely. In his honest opinion, the ravenette's appearances are far the most captivating compared to all the other women he's seen and met. She was the excellent mixture of all the races in her bloodline; tall, sharp eyes, alluring lips, silken hair, peach skin, and hourglass shape (not to mention her perfectly rounded breasts and finely sculpted butt- he did NOT just think that), makes her scream exotic and femininity. To his bonus, Mikasa not only fulfills her assets as a woman perfectly, but under those features are well toned muscles from her calves to her abs. Most men would find it unsightly for a woman who looks more physically adapt than them but to Levi, it's actually very appealing. He prefers a girl who can handle herself.

Levi smirked to himself. For once he humored his own thoughts to wonder about the underlying meaning of his weird attraction to the half-blood. He concluded that such a thing is best for laughter. Besides, even if he does feel that way, she won't feel the same especially after all the bullets he's thrown at her since they met- probably never.

Finally recognizing the lull of sleep, Levi closed his eyes for a well-deserved slumber before another busy day tomorrow.

His cellphone rang.

As if a vein popped on his forehead, he snatched the phone from his bedside table. He let his irritation slide when he read that the caller was Farlan. Groaning, he answered the call with a bored

"Hello?"

"LEVI! Thank goodness you're awake!"

"I am now"

"Sorry" he doesn't sound sorry though.

"What do you want, Farlan? It's eleven-thirty"

"Look, I know it's late but it's so crazy that I just had to call you!"

"What is it?"

"I had a dream-!"

"You called me on a Friday night because of a dream?" Levi growled at his foster brother's audacity and absurdity.

"Duh! Anyway, in my dream, you actually got yourself a girlfriend! And you actually put an effort in making her your girl! Its craziest thing I've ever seen even if it's just a dream!"

Levi wasn't amused though. He's heard people say the similar lines before. But is it really that big of a deal if he gets a girlfriend or not? And according to Farlan, put an effort to it? If the girl's worth it then he wouldn't mind spending his precious time on her. It just so happens that he hasn't found a girl worthy enough though… but maybe-

"-plus in my dream, her name's Mikasa! Talk about exotic! She sounds Asian though what do you think? Is she Japanese? Korean? Chinese? Man I wish I could show you how she looked like. She's also a total hottie! Long legs, black hair, black eyes-"

"Goodnight Farlan"

Without waiting for the blonde to reply, Levi hung up and shut his phone before falling back to bed. He's probably just having that weird phenomena of having a dream within a dream.

* * *

Morning rolled by and as expected, Levi was the first customer to arrive at the café. He at least got a jog around the campus as compensation since he wanted to get a head start on all the work he has to do. Nathan greeted him in his usual way as he dried off some drinking glasses while Mikasa gave him the customary bow that Nathan grilled into her in greeting customers- no matter how much she hated one. Levi greeted back before casually making his way to the lone table at one corner of the café near the counter.

Unlike most of the establishments he went to, Levi didn't inspected the level of cleanliness on the furniture, knowing that the Alaskan is almost as keen as him when it comes to sanitation, and just casually sat on the newly furbished sofa chair in replacement of the old ones. His pale-haired friend went all out this time. Levi dragged the empty chair across him to his side and placed his messenger bag there before taking out his laptop and some papers.

Normally he shouldn't be doing all this work in supervising the other frats and sororities every semester but for now, it's a much better trade than sitting in the meeting room with the council and other presidents for god knows how long. At least he was kind enough to wish Erwin his condolences before they parted ways.

Amidst typing something in his laptop, Mikasa placed his usual morning brew on an empty spot on his table. Pausing for a moment, he decided to humor the girl a bit with a raised eyebrow.

As if hearing his silent question, she frowned her brows.

"It doesn't have any poison" she less than assured him followed by an almost inaudible string of words "No matter how much I want to… Nathan won't let me"

Without waiting for his response, Mikasa walked off to welcome another set of customers. At the counter, Nathan didn't miss the way his friend smirked with a silent laugh before returning to his work.

 **~0~**

"He's been her since this morning, right?" Sasha asked innocently with her gaze pointing at a particular saker silently munching on his lasagna.

"He hasn't done anything to ruin my day, yet, so don't jinx it"

"So are you going to join a sorority?" Annie asked as she casually sipped her mango-graham shake. It was mid-afternoon and the whole café was packed to the point they had to take out the extra chairs and tables at the back garden.

The company heiress and their brunette friend passed by moments ago to see their friend on her first whole weekend job.

"Nahh" Mikasa shrugged nonchalantly while making a polar bear and keeping an eye on the plate of cookies being heated in the oven. She's always proficient with her tasks especially when multi-tasking. She just finished her lunch break and had to work double for Nathan's turn. She didn't mind though. Most of the recipes were pretty easy to follow and Nathan's already taught her most of them during the weekdays.

"How about a club?" Sasha followed after swallowing on what seemed to be her fifth sandwich. Polar Bear didn't mind as long as they pay.

"Well…" Mikasa drawled thoughtfully, "I was considering the archery club"

At the mention of her club, Sasha's face brightened considerably.

"Archery?" Annie raised a brow "No offense but you're actually into that? I thought that you're more into sports like tennis or that you'll try-out in the school's women's basketball team"

"I sort of had some experience when I was young" she shrugged. "My parents were really into Japanese culture and they had me trained in Yabusame when I was young"

"Is that the Japanese archery while riding a horse?" Sasha inquired. "I wanted to try that but my father said that I can't practice it easily even if we have a horse back home in the ranch"

Oh right, Sasha's family owned a farm. She mentioned that she came from a lone lineage of hunters but settled down and started in animal farming. They've also been breeding horses but they have this family tradition of being in a week long hunting spree during the Hunter's Moon- the first full moon after a harvest moon.

"'Cause it's more of a tradition" Mikasa informed. "It's an old ritual that is only performed on special occasions and it's a high privilege of being selected as the archer. My mother was a Yabusame archer herself…"

Both the brunette and blonde- and possibly the pale haired man on the other side of the counter- didn't miss the way the ravenette stopped short in her tasks at the mention of her mother. They knew that she was adopted by Eren's family but the reason why and how was still a mystery. And seeing how she's still affected by the thought of her parents meant that they wouldn't be finding out the answer soon. They let her be when she went off to deliver the orders to some tables. When she returned behind the counter, the front door chimed its bells to inform them of another customer.

When Mikasa turned to greet whoever they were, she stopped short when she saw the familiar mop of blonde hair and timid stature following behind her adoptive brother.

"Hi Mikasa, long time no see"

"ARMIN!" she rushed forward and gave the blonde a tight squeeze. It's been so long since she last saw him and now she felt guilty for not even giving him a call for the last few days. In the background, the customers resumed their merry ways minding their own businesses. "What are you doing here?"

"Can't I visit a childhood friend while she's working in a café while being a student?" he mused.

"I-It's not that…" she flushed.

"You're so cliché" Armin chuckled to which he was rewarded with a friendly punch on his shoulder- to which he grabbed hold of with a slight wince.

Grabbing both of her boys' wrists, she dragged them to where Mikasa and Sasha sat silently.

"Girls, these are my boys who I had to endure growing up since childhood" she introduced playfully, making them laugh. Happy for the sudden uphill from the awkward mood. "You already know Eren, but this guy here is Armin Arlert"

"Hi" he waved to the both of them and they returned the greeting.

Then they finally noticed the strange lump on Eren hidden underneath his closed ṦO∆R jacket. It looked odd, shuffling around as if something was inside.

Armin chuckled, "I think he's restless. You should take him out now"

"Okay, okay, stop fussing!" once Eren zipped the front of his jacket open, a black cat's head popped out of its confines. Its big yellow eyes went up to the ravenette and it mewled happily before springing out of Eren's jacket and into the arms of his owner.

"I missed you too Salem…" Mikasa hugged the black feline to her chest. For a moment, she remembered where she was and her head snapped back to her boss. Seeing her concern, Nathan waved her off and she gave him a small appreciative smile.

"You didn't tell us you had a cat! He's so cute!" Sasha squealed, reaching over to pet the black head but the cat swiftly turned his head away in favor of nuzzling against Mikasa's cheek.

"Pretty snub, isn't he?" Annie mused.

"He can be a bit… jealous"

Salem, the black Burmese Shorthair with heterochromic- blue and green eyed cat relished the fresh air and immediately had taken a liking to quaint café his mistress was working. That was, until his mismatched eyes landed on a certain raven-haired with icy blue eyes.

For a moment, it was a silent face-off between the two as they sized each other up, one of which looked back with curiosity. Once Salem garnered the conclusion that the runt in the corner was no one worthy of his time, the cat snapped his head away. Turning his back to him with a swish of his collar and as an added measure, flicked his tail up with pride.

The raven-haired was going to shrug it off until Mikasa lifted the cat to the level of her face and gave the feline a sweet kiss on his nose with an accompanying smile, to which the gesture was responded with a shy lick to her nose.

Levi felt the corner of his eye twitched but what really ticked him off was that- well, he could have been exaggerating- but he could've sworn that the cat smirked at him.

 **SOAR (ṦO∆R)**

 **Saker Omni Delta Rho**

* * *

 **Thank you _mikasaessucasa_ for noticing the signature at the end.**


	10. Chapter 10

"This conversation is **over** , Levi Ackerman. Eren and I talked this through and I already gave him permission to keep the cat. Honestly Levi, I don't know what your problem is, the vice-president before you also had a cat in the frat house and I didn't hear you complaining about it. Relax, they said that he was housetrained so I'm sure it won't make a mess"

Levi's blue eyes narrowed further into slits. He should've known Erwin expected him to complain about the stupid cat. Unfortunately for Levi, Erwin came well prepared.

"I'm gonna go head to the newspaper club so if you don't want me to give you my share of the work- which may I remind you, I have full authority to do- then you could stop bitching about this and let Team Mikasa have this round"

Before he could retort, the blonde was already out of the ṦO∆R house. Letting out a heavy sigh, Levi looked up the ceiling where he knew the cause of his turmoil of emotions are. Unfortunately for him, as much as he wanted to confront the apparition, there was still that stupid rule that no one can enter her room unless she invited them to. So instead, Levi turned the knob to his room to figure out why he's so moody all of a sudden.

* * *

"-we also bought you new toys for Salem, it's all in the box"

True enough, Mikasa took out a new turkey feather wand cat toy to which the black cat immediately took an interest in. The ravenette leaned her back on the side of her bed as she dangled the toy up and down, teasing the cat's pink paws as he tried to grab the toy with his claws.

"You guys are the best" she smiled at her two childhood friends who sat on the rug with her.

"Of course I am!" Eren huffed confidently.

"It's a ' _ **we'**_ , Eren. Of course we are" Armin corrected and the brunette rubbed his neck sheepishly.

They laughed and for the rest of the day, they talked how things were doing. Most of the talk was directed to Armin as he was the one that was obviously separated from the group. He didn't mind though. His university is everything a prestigious school can be, though they weren't as lean towards sports as Trinity Academy. Fortunately, no one has bullied him so far and his roommate was a nice guy named Edward Elric- as long as nobody calls him a shortie (Levi's face actually popped in Mikasa's mind when he said that). Most of his professors were really strict but they knew Armin can manage, especially since he won't have any gym classes anymore.

Armin confessed though that Eren called him and invited him over for the weekend.

"W-Well you weren't in a good mood for the last few days because of vice-president so I thought that having a reunion with the three of us will do the trick… I also asked Erwin if it's okay to have pets in the house. when he said yes, I quickly made mom and dad a call" Failing epically in hiding his blush, Eren decided looked away while scratching his cheek with a finger. He really wasn't good with this kind of stuff.

"Oh Eren" the ravenette smiled fondly at her adoptive brother. She giggled.

"D-Don't laugh at me, Mikasa!"

Mikasa shook her head before wrapping her arms around the brunette. Of course, she wouldn't leave Armin behind so she pulled him over and wrapped her other arm around his neck. Seeing that the ravenette wouldn't let go of them soon, her boys surrendered and returned the hug. Their relationship is as close as siblings. They were family. Even though they were of different blood. Blood isn't always as thicker than water.

"Okay guys, this is starting to get a little embarrassing" Eren cleared his throat but he was only ignored by his two closest friends with a laugh and a tighter hug.

Mikasa, Eren, and Armin (plus Salem) spent the rest of their Sunday weekend doing what they always do whenever they had the time and money (and permission from their parents/grandfather). That is by listing down all the nearest amusement parks, zoos, aquariums, etc. on a dart board before throwing their darts blindfolded, and whichever name their darts are closest to will become their point of destination.

It was the most fun Mikasa ever experienced with her boys since her absence from them during the break. Maybe it was because they really did miss each other, or because she felt guilty for not telling them the real reason why she went back to her homeland. Whichever the case, she's glad that she got to spend the time with them again. She was afraid that because of her mysterious, sudden disappearance, it would become an awkward situation between the three of them. They were supposed to be each other's most trusted people, right? Fortunately, her boys understood her.

" _We won't push you into telling us, Mikasa. We trust you"_

" _Yeah, and don't worry. We'll be here whenever you're ready to tell us"_

Those words were more than enough to make the ravenette cry. She felt so touched that she couldn't care less if the people around them were staring. She's so glad to have met those two in her life. Where would she be and whose shoulder would she lean to if she had not met them. Mikasa's grateful to have two and she wouldn't trade those two for the world.

Unfortunately, Armin couldn't stay long so they escorted their friend to the place he was going to meet his roommate who offered him a ride back to the university. Apparently, he was also meeting some folks near them.

They said their farewells and Armin promised that he'll come visit them again soon.

"Hey, maybe you guys could visit me at H.U.!" the blonde beamed.

"Why not?" Eren grinned.

"We'll see you soon, Armin" Mikasa smiled and kissed the blonde's cheek as farewell, to which he returned with the same familial gesture. He gave Eren a brotherly hug and soon, the two adoptive siblings waved their friend farewell as their car drove back to the university.

Since then, Mikasa had a glorious week. Her beautiful black cat kept her company everywhere. She can't afford to leave Salem alone in the frat house especially when there's a terrifying gremlin on the loose. Besides, Salem was a smart cat- having to live his first few days of living as a stray kitten before Mikasa took him in.

On mornings, Salem would join her jog. In the gym, the cat would watch his master do her rounds, sometimes joining her on her walk or run on the treadmill beside her. For some reason, the mean-looking manager at the desk suddenly grew fond of the feline after a staring contest. Plus, Annie didn't mind as long as the cat wouldn't make a mess. If she has classes, she would let the cat roam around the campus. His dark fur and naturally stealthy nature had students failing epically in capturing him (as long as he has his collar on, he will be fine. The school allows pets in the campus anyway- as long as they have a permit and is certified housetrained. It would be devastating to see littered dog or cat poop everywhere).

Her friends also didn't mind the feline's addition to their circle. Eren was already used to the cat as he also took care of it when Mikasa flew off to Japan (oh he recalled those sleepless nights when the mismatch-eyed feline would cry at night, begging for his mistress). Connie and Annie didn't mind and Sasha, though she has always owned dogs back at their farm, was pretty open to all animals.

When her classes are over, the cat would be waiting for her either lounging on the window outside the room or sitting regally like royalty at the building's entrance. At work though, Mikasa was afraid that Nathan wouldn't allow him in the café but fortunately, he allowed it. Said that it brought him in some customers. Plus, the cat knew not to step over his boundaries. Her boss even praised Salem's intelligence and said that if the black cat wasn't so proud and thinks highly of himself, then he would be dog just because of his manners.

At night, after Mikasa has dinner in the café's kitchen (fed the cat too, of course), she would return to her room without any disturbance. Doing her homework if she hasn't finished them already, before taking a shower and falling to bed for a good night sleep with her equally dark cat sleeping by her side.

It was truly, a wonderful week. She didn't have to go to work on her second Saturday because Nathan had the place closed for renovations! No midgets, no annoying comments, no humiliation, no pointless challenges, no devil-Napoleon-reincarnated-french-chibi-with-a-stick-up-their-ass. Just her, her loving cat, her friends, new club with nice members, her first salary at the café, and her nice steaming mug of Polar Bear Café's Heaven's Sin Hot Chocolate.

Oh yes.

She just hopes her long-awaited, peaceful college days have finally arrived.

Unbeknownst to her however, right across her room's door, the occupant there had a very, _very_ , _**very**_ annoying week.

* * *

"Levi?"

"…"

"Levi…"

"…"

"Leeeviiii"

"…"

"Levi!"

"…"

"Leeevi! Leeevi! Leeevi! Leeevi! Leeevi! Leeevi! Leeevi! Leeevi! Lee-"

"WHAT?!"

"Your laptop's off" Nathan pointed with an unamused look.

"Ah- shit!" the raven-haired openly cursed as he jumpstarted his laptop back on. Hoping that the autosave worked on the Word, lest he'll have to restart a three-day's worth of report. Fortunately, the screen blinked back to where he left off.

"What's up with you?" he asked, taking a bored sip from his homemade mango shake. "Thought you said that you have very important stuff to do"

"I do have important stuff to do" Levi pressed a few keys on his black Vaio, making sure to save it before abruptly stopping in his movements again. The platinum blonde purposely sipped loudly, annoyingly enough to catch his attention. "I told you we should've stayed in the café"

"And I told you that it's closed for renovations. And since my famous café is closed, the other cafes around the campus are packed. Plus, it's a Saturday so you won't find peace in the libraries or at the lounges too" Levi groaned, sipping stubbornly on his shake. "Where's Erwin anyway? It's a while since we played some GG"

"Probably back at the frat house, sleeping" he shrugged while Nathan nodded "Still, why did you choose here of all places?"

They shared a two-seater public stone table at Kagawasan Valley. It's still early in the morning but students littered the green haven with their friends. Either doing schoolwork like them, lazing around, playing, or doing whatever college students do on their free time. It's a common sight in this university since the school did promote social bonding. It's the reason why they came up with the Valleys in the first place. Levi's sure that the other Valley is packed as well.

Nathan gingerly brought up two fingers with a knowing grin. "Exhibit A" he points to his right. To which Levi rolls his eyes on the sight of a girl from the Track and Field bent over as she drank on the public fountain. Her clingy, mid-thigh training shorts and passing other members were perfect eye-candy for healthy young men. "And exhibit B" he then points to his left.

"Of course…" Levi groaned. He shouldn't have been surprised that they chose the perfect spot near the Vallley's border for a perfect view of the women's exclusive training field. The field is big enough to support at least ten clubs and most of their members to do whatever their clubs are doing. No wonder most of the students around them were male.

Then he blinked his blue eyes at the sight of the archery club. Standing alone at the center of the field with the other members- and even the other clubs watching her intently for her upcoming display. She was facing one target, positioning herself in front of it. When her coach blew the whistle, her bow-pulled stance was the only thing left to see with their naked eye as an arrow was seen buried at the deep center of the target as if it poof-ed out of thin air. There was another blow of whistle and the audience watched with dumbstruck expressions to see the half-blooded Asian fire an arrow each time she takes a step backward. With the tenth step back, she launched her last arrow and it squeezed its way at the bundled center along with the other arrows.

"Well isn't she something?" Levi hears Nathan whistle in praise, his blue eyes not leaving her form as she was bombarded with her club members- he could see Sasha in one of them. The people- mostly men- cheered at her skill around them.

"Yeah, something"

"You know…" the blonde sighs. "I get it that you two are like, some sort of rivals but seriously, torturing her for a week? And humiliating her in front of her class? Isn't that a bit too much, even for you?" Levi rose a delicate brow at him to which Nathan shrugged. "That Eren-kid's pretty clumsy with his can of beans"

Ahh that explains it. Then Levi's head snapped at the ravenette with an accompanying glare. Mentioning that first week made him remember about this week. It has been seriously aggravating for him. It's the most stress he experienced just next to their last game with the Titan's colossal player. He didn't have that much trouble getting her attention before, what changed?

He caught a glimpse of black running across the field towards the ravenette. But of course! It's all that stupid cat's fault. Ever since that hairball entered the picture, he hasn't had any fun in days. That cat is always near Mikasa at any time and place, randomly popping out of nowhere whenever it feels like it. Especially when he sees a chance to get to its owner. Even if Levi managed to get the ravenette's gaze, her attention will immediately be snatched by that mismatch-eyed cat and she'll just start coddling it like a child!

Levi doesn't like it. Not. One. Bit. At. All.

He doesn't know what could have made her and that cat so close but whatever the case, he doesn't like the way her eyes shone whenever that hairball is around. His goal in annoying her wasn't so her eyes would shine- that shine is just a reflection! He wants those dark orbs to burn. To flare up with life and show her true nature that would revive the dead of whatever she went through. He knows, of course. He had the same eyes in his entire childhood. If not for his foster family and his friends- some damages can never be repaired but still, if not for them, he'd be as many times worse than he is now.

Levi wanted to know. She has friends, an adoptive family that seems to love her as their own. She capable academically and non-academically… she can keep up with him. She can dance toe-to-toe with him- him! And yet why does she look so sad?

-why the fucking hell would he even bother?!

"From the looks of it, I'd say you're just trying to get her attention" he starts to count as he lists down his findings with each finger. "You can't keep your eyes off her for more than five seconds, you're almost always there wherever she went, you literally know her schedule, you always arrive at the café first so that she gets to serve you first, you always point out her mistakes just so she could answer you back, and I've known you for a long time so I know better- you actually smile when you think she's not looking! Heck, if I didn't know any better, I'd you have f-"

Nathan's eyes immediately shot open as realization hit him squarely on the face. He literally froze for a few seconds until slowly and creepily… his face splits into a wide grin.

"Nathan…" Levi growls warningly, sensing the eminent danger when his friend suddenly ceased his rant.

"Oh… my…" his lips turns up higher and higher with every word. "I can't believe I just realized this! Shit! I'm getting rusty!" he snaps his head to the younger male. "Levi! You're-!"

"Don' .It" he hissed through clenched teeth.

"Like what the f-! Man!" his odd behavior are starting to earn them stares.

"Nathan, I am warning you-"

"You're not even denying it! I can't believe it! Since when?!"

"Na-"

"Do you have any idea how much the school's magazine and newspaper are gonna pay me for this?!"

"Nathaniel S. Liam! I swear on your deathbed, I will make sure you will never hold another fucking coin for the rest of your miserable life!"

Finally, the platinum blonde threw his hands up in defeat but his annoyingly wide grin was still there.

Was he really that obvious?

'Dammit' Levi cursed.

"Okay" Nathan breathed in deeply. "I promise. I swear in all the money in the world, I will never tell a single soul. If!" he holds up one finger and Levi groans. Of course, there's always a catch. "If you answer my question with all the honesty you have left in your demonic soul"

Sighing, he knew he has no escape. Ignoring the comment about his humanity, Levi ran a hand through his hair, feeling his nerves throb on each side of his head.

"What is it?"

Nathan's smile and demeanor immediately dropped in one beat as his entire façade turned serious. It's as if he had a different persona all together.

"Are you really?"

.

.

.

Levi looks away and to the spot the ravenette was minutes ago. Only to find it occupied with another club. Their time must've been up and he must've missed her leave. He sighs.

"I'm not sure…"

His response from the blonde was something he didn't expect though. instead, he typed a few keys in his own laptop with that know-it-all grin on his face.

"Well then let's confirm it!" he all but cheered. "I've been wanting to do this for a long time and I can't believe I'm actually gonna ask these to you. So basically, I'm gonna ask you twenty questions and you're gonna rank your answer from one to five- five being the highest and then we'll add up your scores and see what happens" Levi looked alarmed, he's seriously going to do this? "I've been saving this Levi and I'm not gonna let you ruin my fun! Besides, it's for your own good too! Okay, first question-"

The blonde kept on talking and his tone made no room for argument.

"You stare into the distance when you think of her- wait, I'll answer that because it's a straight, hands down, five! Next… You feel that you can count on her. One to five?"

Levi blinks as the blonde stares at him expectantly. Does he really have to do this? well, it could be worse. It's better if it was either Nathan or Erwin who found out about these… feelings he has for this girl… they know how to keep a secret. Except Nathan can use it anytime as blackmail if he really needs it. At least compared to Erwin- no wait, he's been pissing that blonde off for the last few because of the said girl. Plus, Hange's been buzzing around him like an annoying bee. A pissed off Erwin and lingering Hange are worse.

"Four"

"Question number three, You get shaky knees when you're near her"

Levi snorted. "Is there a zero?"

"Nope"

"One"

"Four, you are prepared to share your possessions with her"

That question made him remember their jacket argument. Which reminds him… she still has his frat jacket! There's also the fact that he once let her ride with him on his precious bike…

"Five"

"You score pretty high" Nathan snickered. "Next, you would feel lonely without her"

Well he does feel that something is lacking when she's not around. Especially this whole week when she blatantly ignores him like he was nothing.

"Three"

Nathan whistled teasingly, "Your feelings for her reduce your appetite"

"What does food have to do with this?"

"I dunno"

"I don't get it"

"Me neither. Answer?"

"One"

"Your thoughts about her makes it difficult for you to concentrate on something else- that's a five. Next question- oh! This is a good one! You think she is the one for you" his gaze met his mischievously.

Levi paused.

"You can't just decide that right off the bat" the vice-president crossed his arms.

"True, but we're judging whether those butterflies in yo' stomach are the real deal or if its just a phase"

"Fine… … two"

There was a mix of disappointment and contentment on the blonde's expression at his answer.

"You are afraid that you will say something wrong when you talk to her- pfft, you've done nothing but say mean things to her. One-"

"Three"

"Three?" he rose a brow at the raven-haired.

"Just type it down"

"Fine. She knows everything about you?"

"No… One"

"You hope that your feelings for her will never end"

"Again, you can't just-"

"Just answer it"

"Three"

"You get clammy hands when you're near her"

"One"

"You feel emotionally connected to her"

"Two"

"You become tense when you are close to her"

"At first. Four"

"Levi, do you even hear yourself-?"

"Back to the questions, Nathan"

"She can reassure you when you're upset"

"We're not that close yet. One"

"Yet?"

"Shut up"

"You have a hard time sleeping because you're thinking of her"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Levi?"

"Five"

"This is pure gold. You search or have searched for meanings of her name"

"Her name means ' _three bamboo hats_ ', based on a pre-dreadnought battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, and served as a flagship during the Russo-Japanese War"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Five"

"She is the person who can make you the happiest"

Levi actually smirked at that. "We'll see. Three"

"She's part of your plans in the future"

"Again? Two"

"You are shy in her presence"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Don't tell me you're-"

"Bullshit. One"

* * *

"She's been in a really good mood today" Sasha inquired while munching on a bread as they walked back to her and Mikasa's locker.

"Well, if you haven't noticed, our Asian friend here hasn't been complaining about a certain Saker since last week" Annie supplied.

Hearing them, Mikasa's ears perked as she twirled around to face the two girls while cautiously walking backwards.

"And I've been praying that this week will be the same" he eye creased along with her hopeful smile. "So please, girls, don't jinx this for me"

Her response were shrugs and silent giggles as they finally stopped at said lockers. Sasha, not really having anything to put in or take out from her locker, stood by Mikasa's side while Annie stood by the other.

Just as the ravenette opened the metal door, her view was immediately welcomed with the sight of a pink flower. There was only one, almost stem-less, big enough to almost cover her entire hand, and most of all

"It's fresh" was Mikasa's comment as she stared at the pastel petals as if it was freshly picked from its branch. With a delicate hand, she picks it up. Letting her fingers feel the softness of the petals.

"Wow, haven't seen one of those in a long time" Annie whistled, send a teasing grin to the ravenette"

"Oh my! Mikasa that's so pretty!" Sasha all but squealed. "And look! Somebody left a note!"

"How were they able to open my locker?" Mikasa's dark eyes narrowed a bit at the suspicion, which earned her a pair of rolling eyes from her blonde companion.

"Come on! Read it! Read it!"

 **~0~**

" _You're kidding…" Levi's voice fell in a lower timbre as the blonde sitting across him shook his head. Confirming him that he was in no way, making a jest. "And I suppose this is your most brilliant idea yet?"_

" _It's the perfect idea! At least, in your situation" the shorter man groaned. "Look, the idea is just to keep it a secret. Wait and see her reaction and if things don't go well, we'll think of another way"_

" _We?"_

" _It was my honor of being the first to discover that somebody actually melted your frozen heart" he mocked saluted. "I just feel that I have a small role in this play"_

" _Glad to know you realize what you got yourself into"_

" _Anything for you, old friend"_

" _I still don't think this is going to work"_

 _Nathan shrugged, waving his hand in dismissal "Hey, special or not, in the end, Mikasa's still a girl. She may not show it but I know that deep inside she'll be all giddy like any girl out there"_

" _How would you know?"_

"…"

" _Gut feeling?" Nathan's smile grew wider. "Shit"_

" _Just give it a try"_

 **~0~**

 _ **Roses are red,**_

 _ **Violets are blue,**_

 _ **This is so cliché,**_

…

 _ **But I can't take my eyes off of you**_

"That is soooo cute!" Sasha squealed, looping her arms around the ravenette's waist.

"Sweet" Annie commented. "A little creepy, but sweet"

All the while, Mikasa said nothing as she stared at the note. Deciphering it for any hidden meaning… unfortunately, there aren't.

"O-Oh! What's that flower, Mikasa?"

"It's a peach flower…"

"Peach flower?" Annie was genuinely surprised. "You need to have those imported from China if you want to get a hold of them. Do you know what it means?"

"I think…" Mikasa pursed her lips. "I think it means that you're a fascinating person or…" she smirked "It says that you have captivated me"

"I can't believe it! One of my best girl friends have a secret admirer!"

"Well whoever he is, at least he's smart enough not to give you a red rose. That'll be too cliché"

"Yeah…" Mikasa's lips turned upward slightly "…cliché"

 **SOAR (ṦO∆R)**

 **Saker Omni Delta Rho**


	11. Chapter 11

_**It seems so unfair, in your khakis and jeans,**_

 _ **You don't wear heels or skirts,**_

 _ **And you don't even try.**_

 _ **I wonder if you're even aware…**_

 _ **But even if you start looking like a clown,**_

 _ **You will always look beautiful in my eyes.**_

…

 _ **Hope you won't have a shitty day.**_

Mikasa laughed softly at the message before straightening her back to compose herself. After almost two weeks since the debut of her secret admirer, she's had a total of eight different flowers and love letters- one for each day every weekday. She'd received love letters and flowers before in middle school and high school, but she was too focused on Eren at that time that she called off every single one of them- albeit harshly… _very_ harshly.

The ravenette honestly didn't know why she's humoring her ' _secret admirer_ ', but she had a good feeling about this one (Nathan must be rubbing off on her). Contrary to what her friends think, just because she doesn't show any romantic interest in anybody, that doesn't mean she's not interested (or asexual) - she's just not making it her priority.

Her problem with the clan estate back in Japan is much more important.

"Seriously?" she asked herself. Narrowed eyes looked keenly as frantic hands shoved books left and right, and open and closed zippers of small bags. "Please no…" she says softly to the folded material staring teasingly at her anguish.

 **~0~**

She could feel the stares literally on her back and it took much of Mikasa's willpower to not snap at them to mind their own business lest she'll get in trouble. It's bad enough that she's got in the Trinity scholarship (well, she didn't have much of a choice in that) so standing out is the last thing she would want. Besides, it's not like she wanted to wear… _this_. It's not her fault that she forgot to bring a jacket for this class- maybe a little.

Plus, she didn't have much of a choice. If she wanted to survive in a freezing classroom for five hours because their professor is so accustomed to a cold environment (he'll go berserk if the classroom gets even remotely warm and take it out on them), then she has to swallow her pride. They are going to have a long (very long) exam by the end of the week and these notes are crucial, so she can't afford to have frozen brain and fingers.

Three hours. She survived half the time so far so she just needs to survive the last two and a half hours after their thirty-minute break.

"If you want to say something, then just say it, Sasha" she acknowledges the brunette smiling nervously at her the moment she stepped into class.

"W-well, that's the problem. I don't know what to say…" she laughs awkwardly.

Mikasa sighs before standing up with her hot chocolate thermos, "Let's go to the washroom for a bit"

.

Sasha sighed contentedly, relishing the warm, hot liquid sliding down her esophagus, "Mikasa, if this hot chocolate isn't this delicious, I'd be worried with all the sugar you put in your body"

"Glad you liked it," the ravenette smiled, drinking from her thermos while the brunette drank from the cup-cover, "Besides, I put all that sugar to good use in my workout. You should mind your body more often"

"Nahh" she waves her hand nonchalantly, "I don't do sports aside from archery, but I dance. Hey! Why don't you, Annie, and I go out dancing for once? I know a studio that's a dance workshop by day and a dance floor at night not far from here"

Mikasa shrugged, "Sure" it's been a long while since she last dance anyway.

"Great!"

"Uhmm… excuse me…" Mikasa whirled to see a petite brunette flanked by two of her friends as she casually sipped more hot chocolate from the thermos. Judging by the number of strips stitched on the right shoulder of her uniform exclusive only to those taking up Tourism, she's a sophomore. And judging by the way her eyes would drift on the jacket hanging on her shoulders, Mikasa had to stop herself from groaning.

"Can I help you?" Mikasa asked with just politeness as a freshman to a sophomore.

"Oh- hi!" she flushed a bit, smiling politely. "My name is Petra Ral"

"Mikasa" she started and hesitated for a few heartbeats before saying, "Ackerman. Mikasa Ackerman"

"Oh! Then is that why you're wearing Levi's frat jacket? Are you related to him?"

Mikasa rose a brow, followed by a twitch at the corner of her lips as she tried her best not to laugh, "We share the same last name, but I did my own research and I assure you that aside from that, we have nothing in common" she leaned back on the sink. At this time of the day, there's usually no other students on break aside from theirs so she thought that she could save herself from the questions such as this in the classroom. Apparently, fate double-crossed her again.

"Then can I ask why you have it?"

The ravenette tilted her head, feeling really incredulous at how much the brunette tried to be subtle. It's obvious that she's a fan of the midget. "It's a complicated story but to sum it up, he sort of lent it to me. Why? Are you his girlfriend or something?"

Petra blushed at that, waving her hands over her face in defense, "N-n-no way! I'm nothing like that to him! I've just known him for a long time and I know that he's not really fond of sharing. S-sorry, I was just really surprised"

Mikasa instead, smiled at the brunette politely. Years of living in Germany with the Jaegers in a neighborhood of people coming from all walks of life made it easy for her to read faces. Petra means well and she seems nice and all but the glint of jealousy behind her eyes does not go unmissed by Mikasa. Dealing with people like her is best done by nipping the conflict from the bud and steer clear away.

"Don't worry, he's all yours. He's not really my type of guy anyway" her words made the brunette flush again, "Well, we should be heading back to class"

Not waiting for a response, Mikasa up and left the comfort room with Sasha skipping behind after waving goodbye.

"So… I'm just curious" she began, "What _is_ your type of guy anyway?"

Mikasa tapped her finger on her chin at that, not really knowing herself. With a shrug, she plainly said, "Someone cuter than Salem, maybe?"

* * *

The sky was painted with the setting sun's orange glow when he stepped out of the building. Levi stretched his body and arms up, relieved to finally have ended his duties for the start of the semester. Now he has more free time to do other things- like finding a way to get a certain ravenette to notice him.

Fishing out his phone, the bell charm that Isabel gave him and Farlan jingled silently as he swiped his thumb across the screen to check on the messages he received. At the corner of his eye, he saw the bush rustle until a cat jumped on the stone rails of the main entrance's steps.

Levi blinked at the black cat sitting regally on the stone. Its long, black tail swept around behind him as he stared back with mismatched blue and green eyes. If not for different eye colors and the red collar decorated with a silver bell, then he would have ignored the feline. But as he followed the cat's gaze, he traced it back on the golden bell strapped to his phone. Quickly removing the strap, Levi stayed on his spot as he held up the bell.

Jiggling, it caught the cat's attention.

Moving to the left, the cat followed the sway.

Moving to the right, Salem's ears twitched at the soft tinkle.

It was too late to react when the black cat suddenly crouched and leapt at him. Before he knew it, his foster sister's gift disappeared from his fingers and was dangling between the cat's fangs. Salem looked at him for a second before dashing off. Levi recovered from his split second stun and eventually gave chase, a vein throbbed painfully on his temple.

 **~0~**

The cat was fast, he could commend that. He shouldn't be surprised, seeing that the cat can keep up with his mistress' jogs and morning runs. If Levi was just any regular guy with an average built (and height), he'd probably had lost the cat half a minute after it ran off. Unfortunately for the cat though, what Levi lacked in stature, he made up for experience and superior body build. So chasing down a cat wasn't much of challenge compared to his days in the slums. Still, Mikasa's cat was smart. He maneuvered him between people, in crowds, and even over fences.

Nonetheless, their chase had to end.

"Mrrrowww! Mrrroww! Mrrow!"

Levi chased Salem all the way back to the frat house and heard the cunning feline crying and scratching on Mikasa's door just as he came up the stairs. The door opens and Mikasa barely greeted her precious cat before it darted inside her room.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" he ignored her shriek, stomping his way inside her pristine room just in time to see the mismatched-eyed feline dive under her bed. "Don't ignore me, chibi!"

"Your thieving cat stole something from me" he sneered.

"Salem's not a thief' she huffed, crossing her arms, "What do you even have of value to steal from anyway?"

Ignoring that last remark, Levi knelt by her bed and peeked under. True enough, the cat's dark fur blended with the darkness with the exception of its mismatched eyes that seem to glow at the corner. He stretched his arm towards him and Salem hissed warningly, when he didn't stop, the cat clawed on his bare arm.

Pulling his arm back, Levi hissed at the stinging pain as droplets of blood seeped through from three thin lines over his knuckles.

Mikasa, however, after putting two and two together, conceded and knelt beside the saker. She swept a lock of her hair behind her ear before peeking for her cat. Salem's eyes and the faint line of his body was moving around, playing with something by his paws followed by distinct ringing. And Mikasa knew that it was _not_ the sound of the bell on the black cat's collar.

"Salem…" she started, "Salem" she repeated with a warning tone but the cat only looked at her for a second before ignoring her.

Sighing, Mikasa retreated to a stand.

"Well?" Levi asked and Mikasa shook her head.

"There's nothing we can do" she walks over to the connected bathroom, "If we force him, it'll only make him more stubborn"

"So you're saying I should just give up because you can't order your stupid cat?" there was a hiss under the bed and Levi retorted with a mocking bark like a dog.

"I'm saying…" Mikasa took her time making her way to the saker sitting on her floor, trying to not sound too incredulous after hearing him bark at her cat. "That it'll be best if we ignore him. He's bound to get hungry in an hour or so, or he'll get tired of playing. Com on…"

Blue eyes narrowed at the ravenette sitting beside him with a small box of what looked like a med kit.

"What do you think you're doing?" he drawled in his low baritone to hide the sudden leap in his heart rate when she grabbed his hand.

She clicked her tongue and yanked the clawed hand back to hers, "Just hold still"

For a moment, he didn't. Moving his hand in all directions just to spite her, but eventually she caught his deceptively larger hand and pressed the wad of cotton with disinfectant in a not-so-gentle way.

"Stop being a baby" she heard him hiss and Levi's face scrunched up in a scowl. Mikasa smirked, "And stop pouting"

"I am not pouting"

Ignoring his spat, Mikasa resumed cleaning the claw marks on his hand with the ticking of the clock and the jiggling of bells under the table being the only sounds in the room.

"I'm…" Mikasa swallowed. "…sorry"

"What?" his usually lidded eyes opened by a fraction. More surprised at the fact that the ravenette acted in civility rather than spouting things about him in her language.

With her head casted down, he couldn't see the way her cheeks flared in embarrassment and warring pride within her.

"I said I'm sorry" she refused to meet his gaze. She's pretty sure that he'll be laughing at her face in a few minutes but for Salem's sake, she has to swallow her pride. "Salem's usually friendly…" Mikasa raised her head a bit. "Can you tell me what he took from you… exactly?"

Levi had to thank his passive bored face or else he would've looked like a complete fool. How can she look like… that without even trying? And she's just asking a question!

"My phone strap…"

"Phone strap?" she rose a brow incredulously.

"It's a bell. My sister gave it to me" he steels himself. "It's important"

Mikasa blinked at that revelation, "You have a sister?"

"Foster sister, to be exact. I also have a foster brother but they're studying in a different university. We have a foster mother back in France"

"Oh" was the only response she gave. Not knowing what to say nor is she used to sensitive topics. Case in point, she couldn't tell Eren or Armin about her real parents. Topics about families have always been an uncomfortable subject to her. "I'm sorry about what I said" she faced him fully this time. "About you not having anything of value to steal from…"

Despite his racing heart, Levi tsked and looked away.

"What?"

"Don't apologize…" he glared at his bag lying beside him. "Coming from you… its creeping me out"

That throbbed a vein on her temple.

Levi cursed at the stinging pain at the sudden spray of alcohol on the open wound.

 **~0~**

"You're still here?" Mikasa commented without looking as she typed on her laptop on her desk.

"I told you, I'm not leaving until I get my bell back" he answered casually while typing notes in his laptop with two books open on each side of him.

They've been at it for almost an hour now. Mikasa on her desk while Levi's on the floor with his back on her bed. He was quite adamant in staying and the ravenette has no time to waste on fighting with the midget when there's a bunch of homework that needed more of her attention. Miraculously, Levi was suspiciously cooperative as he too, resorted to doing his schoolwork while he waited.

"Your room's probably the cleanest place I've ever been to aside from my own room"

Mikasa stills, hearing the words despite wearing her headphones. "That's…" she turns, "so random. Where did that come from?"

Levi shrugged, not looking away from his screen. "Just wanna say"

Not knowing what to respond, Mikasa just hummed and resumed her work. Well, if he knew more about Japanese people, then he would've known that they are quite keen on cleanliness. She grew up with her mother drilling that feat in her brain and she didn't mind doing most of the chores when she was with the Jaegers (much to Eren's enjoyment of skipping his own chores).

Time flew by without any of them noticing, too focused on their tasks to get it finished early. Just when Mikasa saved the word document and Levi returned the books in his bag, Salem's head poked out from under the bed. Both sets of obsidian and sapphires followed the feline's movements as he stretched his limbs, flexing his claws and giving a big yawn. The black cat ducked his head back under the bed for a moment to reveal the golden bell dangling between his teeth. Without even looking, Salem placed the phone strap on Levi's thigh before walking to his mistress.

"Salem…" Mikasa watched the cat paw at her pant leg, meowing with every motion. "After all that trouble you caused, you're begging me for food?" she sighed. "Shame on you"

Mismatched eyes stared up in silence. Stilling his movements at his mistress' scolding face.

"That was a very important bell for Levi" the other occupant of the room rose a delicate brow at her, finding it suprising and oddly amusing at the ravenette scolding her pet. He did not expect this side of her. "In fact you shouldn't be stealing people's things in the first place" said cat was turning his head away by now. "Salem. You already have a box full of toys, isn't that enough?"

He meowed.

"What was that?"

He meowed again.

Mikasa sighs, standing from her seat. "I'll go get your food, but apologize to Levi first"

Without even a glance, Mikasa was already out of the room. Levi though, remained in his seat on the rug, trying to process what just happened. It was very amusing, to say the least. He's never seen such an interaction between an owner and their pet. He never had one. In his eyes, Mikasa seemed more like a mother scolding her child who didn't know what was right or wrong.

An item being dropped in his hand was what broke him of his thoughts. Turning to his attention in front, Salem was staring at him with his mismatched eyes. The way he flicked his tail and turned his head every few moments made him look like he's very reluctant. In his hands, Levi found a cat toy he's seen often. The fuzzy, light-pink tail end bobbed animatedly when he picked it up and the cat immediately had its eyes transfixed on them.

Wagging the toy on the floor, Salem set on a hunter's crouch. A paw would dart from where it was tucked in his chest every other second to catch the evasive tail.

Levi's elbow was on his thigh as he cradled his face, watching intently at how the black cat would jump and reach out for the toy.

"So this is your form of apology? By letting me play with you?" Salem mewled, claws reaching up at the dancing feather tail above him. "Why am I even talking to you?"

Meanwhile, from behind the slightly ajar door, Mikasa almost dropped the can of cat food. Eyes wide with disbelief as she held a hand to her gaping mouth, her back to the wall beside the door. She didn't understand why, much less explain why, but she can't deny her heart started beating wildly when she saw Levi smile while playing with Salem.

Her face felt so hot.

* * *

"So! Did everybody understand the battle plan?!" Hange exclaimed enthusiastically.

"We're going to a lake, Hange. Not to war" Levi rolled his eyes before taking the last bite of his sandwich. He was, of course, only ignored as the other ṦO∆R members nodded and agreed to the brunette. They were having lunch outside on a picnic table while they discussed what they should do for ṦO∆R's weekend get-together. As if they haven't seen each other every day already- they have one every semester.

"Loosen up, Levi!" she threw her arm over his shoulder abruptly that it almost made him choke on his water. "At this rate, you'll never graduate from your virginity! You'll end up being an old man stuck to live the rest of his life sipping tea and taking care of his bonsai collection!"

That earned a couple of snickers and some (epically failed) bellows of laughter from the other occupants of the table. At least Erwin had some semblance of self-respect to look away… but he's still laughing. Thankfully, one infamous glare from Trinity Academy's most untouchable sought after single male effectively shut them up.

Though, a certain blonde and brunette were completely immune to it by now.

Then as if a brilliant idea just popped up Hange's head, she removed her arm over Levi's shoulder before pointing her forefinger at Eren.

"Hey Eren! Wasn't your sister the one staying your frat house?!" her loud proclamation made the passing students turn their heads to their table. It's no secret now that _the_ ṦO∆R fraternity house is letting a girl stay with them (it was a miracle people didn't made such a big deal over it except for a few rumors making their way to the school's newspaper. But they are ṦO∆R, they practically own the school paper. It's like politics on a smaller scale). Still, it didn't stop them from earning their attentions.

"Y-yeah…" Eren smiled nervously, his instinct telling him that whatever the brunette was cocking up, it wasn't very good.

"Why don't you invite her to the barbeque? I'm sure she'll be a great company to Mr. Grouchy over there" she jabbed her thumb none-too-subtly at a glaring Levi "In fact, I bet you my entire allowance for the entire month that they'll be rolling in the hay till Monday afternoon!"

This time, Levi really choked on his water. Fortunately, instead of the guys taking her side and tease him more, they did the opposite. Most of them had their jaws hanging from their mouths, some looked at her (and him?) in disgust, while the others were trying their best to recover from their choking. They all sported red faces, though Levi's pretty sure Eren's red because of outrage more than embarrassment.

"You're high on formalin again, aren't you?" Levi hissed through grinding teeth when his nose finally caught a whiff of the said chemical when the wind breezed by him. "Goddamnit you shitty four-eyes!"

"Levi! No! If you hit her, I won't be able to help you get through the discipline committee this time!"

.

.

.

"B-besides, I already asked Mikasa if she wanted to come" Eren began, cheeks still dabbed with pink even after he calmed down a bit. "But she said she won't make it since she's really busy- she has been since yesterday and that the outing is exclusive only to ṦO∆R members only"

"At least someone has some sense left in their brains" Levi huffed, sending a warning glare to a brunette being held down by Erwin. "Which begs the question why you're coming along in the first place"

Despite what just happened, the bubbly (psychotic) student president of the biology department, grinned goofily. She was taunting him, "Because without me, you guys wouldn't even be able to set foot near the best lake in town!" Yep, she's taunting.

"Well you-" Levi stopped short when he felt a sudden pull on the edge of his coat until something came climbing up to his back and on his shoulders. "You again" it seemed more like he said it than asked it as Salem started nuzzling his furry head all over Levi's right cheek while his tail caressed the other.

The raven-haired scratched the cat behind the ear before he flopped down to Eren's direction. The brunette let his hand caress the soft black fur from head to tail.

"Salem" hearing his mistress call, the cat jump down, ran to the tall ravenette, and climb up her coat before situating himself across her shoulders.

Levi watched the girl blink at him, a silent message, before turning away. Her posture seemed unsteady though. Her friends following after. When he turned his gaze back to his brothers, he was genuinely incredulous when he found Eren looking at him suspiciously (albeit none-too-subtly though), as if he's done some heinous crime.

After that, on the following Monday morning, at the crack of dawn before Levi was the last to leave the house and meet his brothers (and Hange) at the lake, he discovered that _the_ Mikasa Ackerman had caught a fever.

 **SOAR (ṦO∆R)**

 **Saker Omni Delta Rho**


	12. Chapter 12

Zipping close the zippers of his duffel bag, Levi rechecked his mental list of things he should've packed just in case he missed anything. The other members of the fraternity (and Hange) were already out of the campus since four in the morning. Going out by intervals and getting their necessary materials along the way. Levi was tasked to be the last to arrive to do one last check on the house and in case they'll need some more sausage or something.

He secured his gloves and coat tightly around his body, the days are getting colder and colder with each passing day as if the slightly foggy morning isn't any indication. As he twirled the extra house key around his finger to give to Mikasa, a small head of black fur peeked from outside his open window. The raven-haired stared as the black feline jumped down to his feet.

"What, you're here to send me off?" he rose a brow while the cat just swished his tail in response before suddenly pawing at his pant leg, meowing loudly as if trying to tell him something. "What do you want?"

Salem pawed a bit more on his leg before dashing towards his door, looking back at him before standing on his hind legs and clawing at the wood. His meows grew louder and more urgent.

"Hey- stop that!" Levi dashed for the cat, lifting it to his chest. He just cleaned his room after packing. "What's gotten into you? You're awfully loud today, damn cat"

Shamelessly ignored, Salem jumped from his grasp to claw more at the door. Deciding to humor whatever he thought the above-average intelligent cat wanted, he opened his door and the black feline immediately raced across the hall to a partially opened door- Mikasa's room. After the whole ' _bell'_ incident, he could say that his relationship with the ravenette had… improved… somewhat. They haven't thrown knives (or pens) at each other since then and at least she's acknowledging him with a simple nod. No ' _hi_ 's or ' _hello_ 's but it's still a big improvement.

As he stood by the doorway, he at least took a peek inside out of curiosity. Mikasa never leaves her door open, much less partially open. With a shrill cry from the cat, Levi burst open the door only to find a panting Mikasa lying by the door to her bathroom.

"Mikasa!" kneeling beside her, Levi picked up the fallen body with one hand under her head and the other over her waist to gently turn her around. Just the simple touch of her head instantly told him that she's having a fever. "Fuck, you're burning up"

"…thought… you… …left…" she panted, face flushed with redness.

"And it's a good damn thing that I haven't" he steadied her as she struggled to breathe through her slightly agape mouth, frowning at the sight of the spitfire now flickering like a small ember at a candlewick "Can you stand?"

Her response were lidded eyelids staring blindly at the waxed floor. She tried to prop herself up with one hand but the stark contrast of the cold floor against her heated palms instantly shocked her entire arm to shake.

"Come on" Levi didn't wait what she had to say as he hoisted her up, arms supported her from her legs and shoulders with her head leaning over his chest. He placed her gently onto her bed, Salem immediately jump up beside her. Her body felt like it was on fire, her skin glistening in sweat as if she ran a marathon. Taking a deep breath, Levi dared "You're drenched. You need to change your clothes"

Despite her labored breaths, Mikasa still had the strength to glare menacingly at him. Charcoal eyes judging him knowing that she's only wearing a shirt and shorts- she's used to colder weather and she rather liked her legs cool when she sleeps.

Levi raised his hands in defense, "Get your mind out of the gutter. You'll only get worse if you don't"

Heaving up, the ravenette swung her legs to the edge of the bed- but that's all her strength could muster. Levi was already making his way to her closet while Salem nuzzled his face on her arm. The raven-haired inwardly applauded at how organized her closet was, expecting it to be full and look like a tornado wreaked havoc in it like most. He rummaged through her flannels and shirts, momentarily pausing when he saw a couple of matching Hello Kitty clothes and… Gon? As in the same yellow dinosaur in Tekken? …

He grabbed the matching Hello Kitty pajamas.

"Who knew you're really just a kid?" he teased in his usual monotone but Mikasa saw the glint in his eyes to which she glared and snatched her clothes from his hands.

"Don't judge me… I like them" she spoke between pants. "Now… get out… or turn around… or… something…"

Shrugging, Levi turned on his heel and headed for her door, but he only stopped in front of it. Seeing that he's not going to move out like she hoped, Mikasa took a deep breath.

"If you so much… as move your head… even the tiniest bit-"

"I give you permission to stab me in the back"

 **~0~**

Forty degrees Celsius, it read, and Levi shook his head.

"You're grounded, Mikasa Ackerman" he stated firmly. "You're not allowed to move out of your bed unless you want to piss or shit until I say so"

Confounded at his uncensored tongue, Mikasa sighed, now too exhausted to glare as she finished the glass of water Levi gave to drink with her medicine.

"Don't… tell me what to do" she spoke gently, trying to keep her breathing even.

"What I tell you to do is what's good for you" Levi stands up and Mikasa complies, lying down on her back as Salem lied on her pillow above her head like a crown.

Mikasa seemed to have felt refreshed now that she's out of her sweaty clothes, she instantly fell asleep. After tucking her in, Levi brushed away the stray locks obscuring her face, it fanned out like a dark halo with a pair of mismatched eyes. The saker realized that Salem's fur had the same shade of black as her hair. Coincidence much?

As he sat there on her desk chair he pulled up next to her, Levi took the opportunity to observe her. It's the first time he could be so close to the Japanese girl, except for their spars that had them butting heads sometimes, it's the first time he's seen her like… this. So vulnerable and open, he wonders how peaceful her sleeping face would've been if she wasn't so sick.

Her phone buzzed on her bedside table which turned into what sounded like some sort of childish Japanese music, getting louder and louder with every second. Not wanting to disturb her sleep, Levi snatched the gadget before padding softly out of her room as he closed the door behind him with a soft click.

 _ **Maru kaite poyo! Nyan~!**_

 _ **Maru kaite poyo! Nyan~!**_

 _ **Maru~ Maru~ Man-man-man-man~maaaru-maru~! Nyan~!**_

Looking at the name of the caller, Levi mulled over whether he should answer or not…

.

.

" **Hey Mikasa! Sooooo Annie and I was thinking that since Nathan's café is still under renovation, he'll probably let you off early, right? Well, we thought that maybe we should go out shopping later! I saw this cute dress when I was out of the campus and I figured it'll look suuuuuper cute on you when we go out dancing tonight! I bet you look great in red! Oh and Annie also knows this amazing lingerie store-"**

"Braus"

Silence, and there was some shuffling from the other end.

" **Who is this?"**

"Levi"

" **W-W-Wha-! Levi?! W-"**

Whatever Sasha was gonna say, it was rudely interrupted by someone else like they snatched the phone away.

" **The hell are you doing with Mikasa's phone?"**

"Annie"

" **Answer the question"**

Sighing, "Mikasa can't go with whatever plan you guys have for tonight. She's grounded"

Snorting, **"Grounded? I don't suppose you're the one who grounded her?"**

"Yes"

" **The hell? What did you do? We've been planning this since-"**

"Mikasa's sick"

.

.

" **What do you mean she's sick?"**

"I mean she's sick. She's got a high fever" Levi glanced back at the door behind him. "She's resting right now"

" **Is she okay?"** the voice sounded a bit distant and it came from Sasha. Ahh speaker.

"I already gave her some medicine"

" **Oh, that's good"**

.

.

.

.

"You can visit her if you want"

There was a gasp. **"Isn't it against your rules for girls to be in your frat house?"** Annie inquired.

"Not as long as nobody else knows. Listen, it's still early. Sasha, you know where the backyard door is, right?"

" **Yeah…"**

"Just knock when you get there. I'll be waiting"

" **Okay. Gotcha"**

Without further preamble, Levi ended the call. He was about to return it in Mikasa's room when it started ringing again. He thought that it was either Sasha or Annie again but when he looked at the name of the caller, his brows frowned. The name, whoever they were, was in Japanese. There's no picture, nor is the ringtone set for anything special. It was only a buzz. What caught his attention the most though, was the word ' _Atty_.' blinking at his face.

When the call stopped, Levi made a new entry in her contacts before returning it to her bedside table. After which, he went out again to dial on his phone.

"Hey Erwin"

" **Levi, where are you? You should've been here an hour ago"**

"Yeah, yeah, sorry… I won't make it this time"

" **Huh? Why? Did something happen?"**

"Something just came up and I need to be there. You know, priorities"

" **Is it** _ **that**_ **bad?"**

"Nothing I can't handle"

" **You know, we can still postpone-"**

" _No_ , Erwin. The guys had been cranky about this barbecue. Just enjoy yourselves and have fun. Make Hange fill in my part or something but make _sure_ she'll owe me for it"

" **You sure you're gonna be okay?"**

"Don't insult me"

Erwin laughed, **"Okay. Good luck"**

"Thanks"

 **~0~**

"Nobody followed you?"

Annie snorted, rolling her eyes while Sasha shook her head vigorously, her heart was pounding nervously. She always wanted to visit the ṦO∆R house since Connie got in, but the closest she could ever gone is in front of the house by their sidewalk. But she never dreamed that she will actually get the chance to be inside.

Levi led them in the spacious backyard with a swimming pool before leading them inside the house. The house was mostly wooden and it reeked with gentleman masculinity. The halls were lined up with items that prided them as Sakers. From flags to banners, and even some medals. They passed by an open archway that led them to the hall filled with pictures of the fraternity brothers since its beginning and up to date.

But when they went upstairs, the halls were completely empty except for the wall lights. The entire second floor was made of halls and doors. How do they know which room from the other? Well, the doors do have their frat's logo carved into them. Down the hall, he opened the wooden door that has no symbol.

"Mikasa!" Annie pulled the brunette back, hooking a finger behind her shirt collar while raising a finger with a reprimanding ' _shh'_.

"Keep it down" Levi hissed, running a hand through his hair "Anyway, I just gotta take care of something first. Look after her, got it? I won't be long"

"Why don't you just leave her to us? We can take care of her" Annie volunteered, unsure of leaving a rare friend like Mikasa in a guy's care. Especially since he's the one who's been causing the girl trouble.

"Yeah! I volunteer!" Sasha whispered loudly, raising her hand up as she occupied the empty chair by her bed.

Levi though, snorted. "Don't push your lucks. I cannot afford to break more rules just because you two are trying to be a pair of goody-two-shoes"

"But haven't you already broken the rule when you allowed us to visit?" Annie challenged and Levi just glared at her menacingly. The blonde felt like she just won a war with that smirk she plastered a second later.

"Whatever" the raven-haired dismissed. "Just keep an eye on her till I get back. Stay here and don't go anywhere else. There's a bathroom over there"

Without further preamble, the saker left with a silent click of the door. Annie was still feeling victorious in her win when she sat herself on Mikasa's bed. The two girls stared with concern at the Japanese girl, they should've suspected it already. The ravenette was acting a bit sluggish yesterday.

Then as if a brilliant idea just popped out of Sasha's head, she fished out her phone from her jacket pocket before snapping a photo of the ravenette with her cat also sleeping on her head.

"What was that for?"

"Well… I just wanna see Mikasa's reaction when she sees herself sick" Sasha replied sheepishly, unsure how to put to words her and her cousins used to do when one is sick. Annie just let the brunette be, not quite understanding it. Just as she saved the picture, another thought sparked in Sasha's head. "Hey, now that I think about it… today is supposed to be ṦO∆R's get-together"

"How'd you know that?"

"A friend told me. You remember Connie, right? They have one every semester. This time I think they're gonna have a barbecue for the whole weekend"

"No wonder no one else is around"

"Yeah… so… why is Levi still here?"

There was a moment of silence as the two girls let that fact sink in for a moment. Then this time, it was Annie's turn to perk up, another smirk splayed on her lips.

"Hey Sasha, send me a copy of that pic"

* * *

"Levi?" Nathan rose a brow at the newcomer, expecting it to be his employee. "Sorry, the café won't be open till Monday. There're still a few furniture they haven't delivered. Not to mention they aren't even set up yet"

"It's fine, Nathan. I just came to tell you that Mikasa wouldn't be able to come to work today"

"Why?"

"She's sick"

The older one blinked, once, twice. "Are we talking about the same Mikasa here?"

"Yes" he rolled his blue eyes. "She's got a high fever"

"Seriously?!" Nathan hissed through clenched teeth, his face a mix of worry and disappointment. "She swore she'll help me set up the stuff today for an early leave" he sighed dejectedly, running a hand through his platinum blonde locks as he surveyed the new furniture still wrapped in plastic. "Shit, I can't finish all of this alone"

Levi heard him mumble before weighing the pros and cons in his head. For one, he does owe Nathan since his plan seems to be going well, and Mikasa probably prefers her friends watching over her for a few hours since they can't go out dancing like they planned tonight. But he can't afford the public to see those girls in or out of the frat house. Reliving the incident with ṦO∆R's '87 batch is not what he had in mind, and his elder brothers will surely hunt for his head when word gets out. The campus' newspaper club has eyes and ears everywhere, especially the underground campus grapevine.

"I'll fill her in"

Nathan looked back at the raven-haired with suspicion, but mostly surprise. "You sure?"

But Levi already removed his coat and was making his way to the broom closet with his personal cleaning kit he produced out of nowhere leaving no room for argument.

"A person like Mikasa… she'll feel bad if she couldn't keep her word"

 **~0~**

"Not bad" the silver-haired grinned, clapping the shorter guy's back in appreciation.

Levi however, click his tongue in dissatisfaction. Even though the new furniture are set, leaving room for the others, and every surface of the café is shining to the point one can see their faces in them, Levi disapproved. Three hours of cleaning and arrangement was not enough for him as he usually takes half a day just to make his own room squeaky clean.

Nathan had to pull him up from the floor just as he was about to apply the third coat of wax. If it hadn't been for him reminding the raven-haired about Mikasa, then he would've still be scrubbing the floor.

"Here. She needs to eat something a bit spicy, tell her to get well soon" Levi nodded, accepting the paper bag after putting on his coat. "Oh and I also whipped you up something nice. Thanks for your help"

"No problem. Hey, do you have a bed tray I can borrow?"

"Yeah, I do actually…" the Alaskan stared at his friend before a smirk etched his face along with amusement shining in his eyes.

Levi glared, "I know what you're thinking Nathan, so just shut up"

When he arrived back to the frat house, Levi passed over to the kitchen to grab a can of tuna for Salem in the cupboard Mikasa saved for the cat. If the feline wasn't so smart and thoughtful of his mistress, he would've probably been a fat, lazy cat. He knocked first before letting himself in. Annie was sitting on the bed while Sasha sat cross-legged on the desk chair. Mikasa was awake, sitting upright with her back to the headboard while Salem purred over her chest, nuzzling his nose to her ear. Levi felt his eye twitch again.

"Perfect timing!" Sasha grinned, springing to her feet. "Daddy just sent me a text, he's waiting for me at the station. I'll see you tomorrow, Mikasa. Get better soon!"

"Thanks Sasha" the ravenette smiled weakly, pressing their cheeks together like those silly… girly… pseudo-kiss…

"I'll be taking my leave too. I wanna surprise Reiner and Bertholdt, I'll be picking them up at that car show downtown" Annie added, standing up from her seat and press her cheek with Mikasa too. "You better be up and about by Monday, alright?"

Mikasa nodded, "I will"

They waved goodbye before Levi saw them off through the backyard. Sasha thanked him for allowing them to visit whereas Annie just nodded her appreciation, and giving him a warning look to which the raven-haired just scoffed. Back in Mikasa's room, he caught Salem pawing on the paper bag he left on her desk.

Caught in the act, the black cat stopped his pawing before slowly retreating back to Mikasa's lap. All the while looking at him with guilty, mismatched eyes. Levi shook his head at him, tsking in mocking disappointment before taking out the food from the bag.

"How do you feel?" he asked as he arranged the items.

"A little… better" she answered, her breathing more stable now. "Why did you let them in?"

He grunted, "Sasha called about your dance tonight. I told them you were sick, but I can't let them stay for long because I couldn't risk news going on about me breaking that rule. Besides, I know you prefer their company over mine"

"I-It's… not that…" she whispered, her face either red from her fever or something else.

"Here" he brought with him the soup Nathan gave, transferred in a bowl with a spoon at the ready. Perplexed at the sight of the bed tray she didn't know the fraternity had. "I bumped into Nathan and he gave me some of this soup. He also wished that you'd get well soon"

"Oh" she blinked, her head and body too weak for anything else but in the back of her mind she's already engraved a plot hole in what he just said.

"Careful, it's hot. If you spill it on your sheets, I'll make you wash it"

Mikasa just sighed, too weak to argue. She scooped a spoonful of the chicken broth, blew on it a few times until cool enough before sipping it down. It's not the spiciest thing she ever tasted but it's enough to fire her dull taste buds. Taking another sip, she watched from the corner of her eye as Levi placed a cool pitcher of water by her bedside table. He filled up a glass of water and placed it on the tray before taking out a can of tuna. Levi motioned for the black feline as he sat on her desk chair. Propping the can open with a swiss knife, Salem situated himself on Levi's lap, waiting impatiently for the delicious, juicy seafood.

Tucking the swiss knife away, Levi had already sanitized his hands before taking a piece of tuna and to Salem's awaiting mouth. The feline accepted it graciously as he immediately began eating. With every sip from her broth and every piece of tuna the raven-haired fed to the mismatch-eyed cat, Mikasa couldn't help but feel restless. Suspicion immediately flooding her senses. She honestly expected the short person who aggravated her nerves to do something despicable, in fact she even thought that he'll turn tail and leave after he gave her Nathan's food… but if he's truly that evil, he wouldn't have even let her friends visit in the first place.

Empty can of tuna aside, Salem licked at Levi's fingers off of the juices just as she was a quarter finished with her soup.

"What are you playing at?" she narrowed her eyes.

"I beg your pardon?" he looked back with one eyebrow raised.

"Why are you even… still here?"

He stared at her silently, with only the sound of birds chirping at the tree near her window. It stayed like that for a while, their stares fixated on each other in silent conversation. Mikasa could tell he wanted her to elaborate what she just said but she didn't feel like it nor did she have any obligation to. But then, Levi suddenly smirked. Smirked! Causing the ravenette to feel flabbergasted. She had seen the saker scowl and frown but never smirk, much less smile. She thought that he's too evil to be able to do such a thing.

' _And even if he can smile, it'll probably look evil like Cheshire… no wait, don't compare that chibi with Cheshire. Cheshire's cute while he's…'_

With the other hand Salem wasn't licking, Levi scratched behind the cat's ear.

"Did you hear that, Salem? Your master thinks I'm a cold-hearted bastard who only cared for himself" his smirk faltered a bit when he looked back up to Mikasa. "You're not the only one who thinks like that of me"

The raventte had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from retaliating, noticing the sadness that flashed in his eyes. Someone like her… she is very familiar with masks- she has one too after all- saw through him at that brief moment. He looked like a kicked puppy and she cursed at herself. She always had a soft spot for little creatures.

"I didn't mea-"

"Are you done?" he interrupted, chin pointing at her bowl.

"Y-Yeah…" she whispered, her tongue and throat lost its dullness but then her fever is starting to cause her a headache.

Levi sanitized his hands before placing the cat down beside Mikasa. From his pocket, he took out a pill from a small pack before handing it out to her with another glass of water.

"It'll help with the headache" he said but her head was already starting to pound to even question how he knew about it. She popped the pill in her mouth, downing the whole glass of water as Levi gingerly took the tray from her bed. "It's a drowsy pill but you just ate so don't force yourself to sleep ahead and just let the effects get to you"

 **~0~**

He came back to the room after washing the dishes only to find Mikasa asleep in her sitting position. Her head hung a little to the side. Salem jumped up his shoulder as he settled her down on a more comfortable position.

"Your master's a lot of work, isn't she?" he turned his face to the side and the black cat only yawned in response.

Bringing the chair over her desk, he sat himself comfortably as Salem jumped from his shoulder to snuggle by the crook of Mikasa's neck. With one paw placed on her cheek, Salem started purring. Remembering how a cat's purr can induce healing and comfort, Levi just stared at them for a few before taking out a pen and the book on _How to learn Japanese_ that he bought when Mikasa moved in the house. He pulled on his earphones where a speaker is teaching basic Japanese words as he practiced on writing simple Hiragana sentences.

Of course, no one needs to know what he's been indulging in his free time, and he already knew what the insult she's been calling him in her language. For now, he'll feign ignorance. He wanted to see her dumbstruck face once he can hold a decent conversation with her in her language, and when he's done with that, maybe he'll try to learn German next.

Her face will surely be priceless.

* * *

Mikasa woke up to the sound of her phone buzzing with Exile Tribe's _Always With You_. It could either be Armin or Eren. Feeling miraculously better, but still a bit groggy, Mikasa sat up as she propped her pillow over the headboard so she could lean comfortably against it. That's when she realized how dark her room was. The sun has already set and her entire room was entirely dim if not for the hallway light that seeped through from her open door.

Her phone sang louder and the ravenette reached over her bedside table to answer the call. It was Eren.

"Hello?"

" _ **Hey Mika**_ " Eren spoke in German, his tone quiet and laced with concern. " _ **How are you feeling?**_ "

" _I feel better now, thank you_ " she also replied in German.

" _ **That's good. I wish I volunteered to see through the house before we left"**_ hesighed." _ **I would've been there to take care of you instead. I'm sorry**_ "

" _It's alright, Eren. It's just stress. I don't feel as bad earlier now"_

" _ **I'm glad you're feeling better…**_ "there was a pause.

" _Eren? Are you okay?_ "

" _ **Y-Yeah, yeah! I'm fine**_ "

" _Are you sure? Did you forget to bring spare underwear? Or extra blankets? You did bring a can of bug spray, right?_ "

Eren groaned," _ **Please don't start again, Mika**_ "

Mikasa smiled, she could almost imagine her brother's pout. " _Old habits die hard_ " she shrugged.

" _ **Well, if you have the strength to make fun of me, then that means you really are feeling better**_ " he chuckled and then there was silence again for a while. " _ **Hey Mika… have you noticed something… weird… about Levi?**_ "

" _Weird? He's always weird"_

" _ **I'm serious, Mikasa**_ " he grounded, tone unusually absent of his normal jubilance.

She narrowed her onyx eyes, " _Well he is... watching over me… I guess that is a bit weird_ "

" _ **Well, have you noticed anything stranger?**_ "

" _What do you mean?"_

" _ **I dunno, like… how he looks at you or something?**_ "

" _How he looks at me?_ " she parroted, face draining in mortification. " _Don't tell me he's… checking me out?_ " she felt like vomiting just saying that.

" _ **Not exactly…**_ " he mumbled softly, " _ **Hey, we'll be back tomorrow night. Want me to get you anything?**_ "

" _Well…_ " she drawled suggestively, giggling softly as she heard her brother sigh.

" _ **Fine. I'll buy you some. Be sure to get some more rest, okay**_ **Nee-san** _ **?**_ "

" _I will, Brüderchen_ " she smiled. "For the record, I'm only older for a month"

 **~0~**

With a simple, thin, jacket draped across her shoulders; Mikasa, still clad in her Hello Kitty pajamas, cautiously walked down the steps through the dimly lit hallways to fetch another pitcher of water. Only to find the kitchen lights lit brightly with the sound of pans, sizzling and boiling, and talking.

"-right, need to add the eggs next-"

"-get out of there, it's hot-"

"-fine, just stay still up there-"

"-you'll get your fur all over the soup, you damn cat-"

The low baritone of the voice was none other than Levi's, and the ravenette could honestly vouch that she never dreamed of seeing the saker… like this. That is, wearing an apron as he stirred something over a small pot, a hand on his hip as he judged the soup quizzically, but what caught her attention the most is her beloved black cat lazing over his head like some fuzzy headwear.

When Salem mewled at her direction, Levi turned his head as well. Casting her a simple glimpse, Levi nodded towards her before resuming his stirring.

"Good, you're here. Take a seat, I'm almost done here"

She kept a suspicious eye on him, all the while as Eren's concerned voice echoed in her ears. The brunette will only speak in his native tongue if he's angry, sad, worried, or suspects something out of the ordinary. Generally something negative. She knows, she grew up with him and was the pacifier of his time-bomb temper during their adolescent years.

Just what did Eren mean, exactly? It bothered her greatly since she's always known what's bothering him right off the bat.

Mikasa sat herself on the stool by the island counter where there's a small bread basket and a pitcher of fresh coconut juice was being kept cold by some ice cubes in its murky white liquid. Soon after, Levi set a bowl of steaming crab and corn soup on the island for each of them followed by a glass of water. Salem jumped from Levi's head to nuzzle Mikasa's shoulder.

"Go on, dig in" he said, sitting himself on the stool opposite of her. Watching for a moment as she stirred on her soup lazily, trailing the wisps of egg whites and strips of crab meat. "I didn't poison in it. If I wanted you dead, then I why should I go through all the trouble?"

"I don't think you even have the guts to kill me" she shot up, to which Levi ignored with a sip of his soup. It didn't talk long for Mikasa to start eating, with Salem as their only other companion in the table.

 **~0~**

"It's… good" Mikasa whispered almost inaudibly, breaking the silence when she was half-way finished with her bowl, but Levi's ears were able to pick it up in the emptiness of the house. "I never thought you could cook considering…" she drawled, the incomplete sentence easily understandable.

Levi shrugged, downing another cup of coconut juice. "I only know a few basics. My foster brother was sickly when we were young. We haven't met our foster sister then so there were only the three of us, but our foster mother can't always stay in the house during those times so there's no one else to look after him but me"

"Oh" was her only response, surprised that he was willing to talk about his family. "You said that you and your siblings are studying here, right? How about your foster mother?"

"After we got sponsors for our studies, she retired being a foster parent and went back to her hometown in Pays de la Loire. She manages a small farm of her own there. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Did you live in Japan or in Germany?"

"Oh…" she mulled over her words, "I used to live in Japan before Eren's parents took me in. Af- I lived with them ever since but I still kept my nationality's practices and language"

"Thought so" he nodded before going silent. Judging by the way she subtly flinched when she almost mentioned her life before her adoption. Eren did mention that Mikasa's past is too sensitive.

However, Mikasa sensed how the silence suddenly shifted to awkwardness and knew exactly that he wanted to ask more. But he stopped himself from doing so. A wave of appreciation wafted her for his silent understanding, even though she honestly did not expect him to have that kind of respectfulness because of her first impression of him- shrewd and rude.

"Were the Jaegers nice?"

She nodded, smiling a bit "They're very kind people and they treated me like their own daughter. Well, maybe except Eren. He didn't like me at first. He was a spoiled brat who thought that I came to take his parents away from him. Although our parents were friends, I only got to know him after my parents…"

.

.

"You know, you don't have to force yourself to-" the ravenette held up her hand, steeling her nerves before continuing.

"My parents died when I was eight"

.

.

"I'm sorry" she only shook her head in response, her head hung low to hide her visage.

.

.

.

"I was in the same age when my mother died. I never knew who my father was" Mikasa rose her head at that, but Levi just continued eating.

Did he just… tried to comfort her? That by revealing that same, sensitive topic about him, it would make her feel less sorry for herself? But he did, didn't he? She felt sorry for him, initially, but it didn't make her pity him. Nor did she feel better because his demise sounded worse than hers. Mikasa can't explain it, but the way he just… understood how she felt at that moment, and the willingness to even the field between them-

"Are you finished with yours?" he asked, voice and façade remained passive and unemotional that anyone less would feel offended.

"Yes" Mikasa nodded and Levi stood up to take their bowls to the sink. He suddenly went back to her side to press the back of his hand on her forehead, catching the ravenette off-guard. Whether the increase in redness over her cheeks was caused by embarrassment or anger was up for debate.

"You're still a bit hot" he pressed the back of his hand on the side of her neck. "But not as worse as before. You'll probably still be sluggish so you still need to rest. Don't go to bed yet. It's still early and your stomach's full. If you want, we could watch a movie in the entertainment room to pass the time. I can pull out the sofa bed too"

.

.

"Who are you and what have you done to _chibi_?" she narrowed her eyes.

Levi rolled his eyes. "Do you want to or not?" Mikasa nodded slowly, still flabbergasted at his suggestion and how much he was willing to do for her. No, wait- he did mention that he mostly took care of his brother. Maybe he's just gotten used to it and it became like a second instinct for him to care for sick people this way. He even went through the trouble to get her coconut juice and cook soup for Pete's sake! Normal people- no, acquaintances? Don't go through all that trouble.

Yes, that's probably it. Besides, even if they now silently waved their imaginary white flags in a truce, she's still no one special to him, right?

"You go on ahead. I'll just clean up here and give you your medicine later"

The following day rolled by and Levi continued with his generous care of her health even though she feels much better without getting a headache every ten minutes. Annie and Sasha didn't come visit again but she understood. They were with their families but they sent her a call to know how she was doing. Other than the two of them, Mikasa noticed how oddly attached Salem has become towards the raven-haired, even though the feline still prefers her lap. The black cat would let him scratch his chin, his ear, and even brush his fur when he would normally retaliate against anyone who would.

The only other person he would allow to coddle- or even hold him for a long time- would be her. Did something happen between the two of them to instill such… friendship? The only thing she hasn't caught the cat doing is purring to him.

There's also the fact that Levi hasn't done or said anything offensive like he used to. Their previous gatling exchange had been reduced to light banter over an idea of the other- like when they watched Whiplash.

It was new, a bit disturbing and totally unexpected but it's not something she's complaining about either.

Maybe he's not such a prick after all?

Mikasa wondered if she would give something in return. Then as she caressed Salem's fur, she received a message from a friend about the new cat café not far from the school campus.

 **SOAR (ṦO∆R)**

 **Saker Omni Delta Rho**


	13. Chapter 13

It felt like they got sucked in a world of dead silence.

Their eyes were wide open, jaws slack as if unhinged from their joints, one or two even dropped the food from their forks and some of them even choked.

She had never seen Eren look so horrified in his entire life. He might rip his hair off if he grips it any tighter.

If the situation didn't make her feel embarrassed enough as she had thought of the idea, she would've laughed at how comical this looked. However, Mikasa had to muster all of her strength to keep a straight face despite the racing beat of her heart and the heat that's been fighting to conquer her cheeks. Well, they already claimed territory at the tips of her ears but she'll gladly blame it to the cold.

Levi rose one brow, his mouth slightly open just as he paused his sandwich midway into his mouth.

Salem seemed to be the one who's most unaffected of the situation, as the black feline lounged himself lazily around his mistress' shoulders.

"Well?" Mikasa drawled, scratching the cat's ear as distraction.

The raven-haired looked at her with quizzical eyes as if judging her, and with the subtlest smirk, Levi shrugged his shoulders.

"Sure, why not?" all flabbergasted expressions turned to him.

"Good" It was a miracle her voice didn't falter. "I'll see you guys later" she nodded to the sakers before turning on her heel towards the direction of the school's greenhouse for her Botany class. Annie followed after with a very amused expression on her face while she dragged a shocked frozen Sasha by her collar.

" **What the fuck?** " Eren cursed in German, breaking the silence once the girls were out of sight. Though no one else knew what he just said, the great displeasure in his face was pretty evident that it wasn't something nice.

It was probably the first time Eren set aside his hero-worship for the raven-haired to openly glare at him. After all, what sane brother wouldn't be surprised to find his sister suddenly walking up to them and ask Levi if he would like to come with her to the cat café downtown? Not far from the campus his ass, you need to ride a bus to get there! And as the person who knew Mikasa best (no offense to Armin), he knew that Mikasa does NOT invite ANYONE to ANYWHERE **alone** with her except if they're family. She only ever goes out alone or with a three or four member party.

He knows that she'll probably bring Salem along but he doubts a cat counts!

* * *

"Mikasaaaa how could youuu?!" Sasha whined, flailing her arms around like a child in front of the ravenette sitting on her chair behind one of the long tables of their theater-style classroom. World History 2 is the only class they have together. "I know _you-know-who_ is one of the campus' sought after eye-candy but come on!"

"Sasha, you know that's not the reason I did it" Mikasa felt the corner of her eye twitch, knowing full well who the brunette is referring to.

The brunette stomped her foot, jutting her lower lip out more stubbornly. "I can't believe you took advantage of this! I know we agreed that we'll go dancing once the prelim exams are over but come on! You didn't have to wait till we suggest to reschedule just so you can go out on a date with Le-!"

A melon bread found its way into the girl's mouth.

"For the last time, it's _not_ for a _date_ " Mikasa grounded before turning to the blonde who sat on the long table beside her. "And you're not whining along with her because…?"

Annie scoffed, "First of all, I don't whine; and second of all, I find the whole situation more amusing than anything" she smiled teasingly at the ravenette. "I honestly never knew that you had it in you, making the first move and all. I never saw you as the type of girl to be that. After all, daddy said that a man's not a man unless he has the courage to ask a girl out first. Then again, mommy said a real woman takes matters into her own hands if she wants something done"

"My compliments to your parents' words of wisdom"

"Noted"

She sighed, shoulders slumped down in defeat. "You guys… there's no reason to get so worked up with all this. I swear there's no hidden agenda or that it's a mission in disguise just so I could kill the little bastard. If you want honesty, I'll admit that I don't hate him as much now. He really did took care of me when I was sick. I just want to thank him"

"And you think asking him out to a café is the best way to _thank_ him?" the blonde rose a brow.

"Well… that's… the café there is great and _chibi_ seems to like cats so…" Mikasa drawled, finding it oddly difficult to answer. Actually, she doesn't even know why she asked him out in the first place. The idea just popped into her head and she just went for it. She should've just gave him something like a gallon of fabric conditioner or a box of Kleenex… yeah that would've saved her the trouble. "Besides, it's not like I left you guys out. I did promise to treat you guys for lunch for the next three days"

Sasha remained pouted as she munched on the rest of the bread, "Well… when you put it like that, I don't feel that much cheated anymore…"

"That's cause she used the magic words on you" Annie rolled her eyes and Mikasa just let out a small smile in response, eyes creasing close in addition.

* * *

" **Oh for the love of-! Eren! Would you just stop it already? It's annoying. See what I mean Armin?** " Mikasa grounded through clenched teeth in her second native tongue, her scrunched features that her childhood friends only get to see was evident as she directed her gaze at the brunette who stubbornly had his arms crossed beside her.

In Mikasa's laptop screen, Armin laughed nervously. Mikasa has godly patience to the people she cared about and it was only a handful of times when they ever saw the ravenette so annoyed, let alone to someone like Eren who she treasured as her own brother. The blonde had already suspected that things will get ugly when Eren called him the other night, practically ranting about Mikasa going on a date and all. He was genuinely surprised to have heard that and he would've been happy that she's finally starting to loosen up more (and curious to know which brave soul captured the ravenette's interest), that is, if there wasn't a big hole in the story.

They decided since Armin's visit to start having a video chat at least once or twice a week- so long as their schedules allowed them. The blonde was really looking forward to this day, too bad he wasn't prepared enough to have this as their first video chat.

" **She's sick I'm telling you! Just look at her! Her fever was so high it burned some of her brain cells! She's got a problem right here, Armin.** _ **Right**_ **.** _ **Here**_ " Eren tapped his temple, leaning close to the camera until Mikasa pushed him off.

" **The only one who's sick is you Eren. Honestly, what's gotten into you? What? You think I can't take care of myself? May I remind you who had to rescue you because somebody thought that setting off the sprinklers at the police station was the perfect prank?** "

Eren flushed at that, flinching at the memory of the entire K-9 unit chasing after him across town when the alarm released all their cages. Honestly he just wants to play a prank on a friend of their family named Hannes.

" **T-That was one time!** " Armin laughed but instantly regretted it, throwing his hands up in defense when his friends looked at him, one glaring, and the other, unimpressed. " **You think this is funny?** "

" **N-No… Eren, I don't. But if you're really asking what I think about this, I say that there's no need to be so worked up with all of this** " Eren's eyes grew wide. " **I mean, what's so wrong if Mikasa goes out with a guy? It's not like we can order her around who she can and cannot hang out with. Actually, I'm very happy for Mikasa. She's really pretty and we know that she's bound to start having dates sooner or later** "

His smile was so innocent it's hard to be offended on what he just said. She's grateful for his sentiments but really, does this scene really make it look like she's going on a date with that midget?

" **Thank you Armin, but really, it's not a date. We're just… going out for some coffee or something** " Eren scoffed at that. " **Besides, I'll be bringing Salem along. I won't be alone** "

Mikasa motioned for the cat on her bed and the feline jumped to his mistress's lap. Meanwhile, the brunette exaggeratedly rolled his eyes as he leaned on the camera whispering, " **Traitor** "

Armin smiled nervously, he can only hope that things will be okay for them.

* * *

Saturday rolled on faster than she thought. Levi rose a brow at the coat she wore that's strongly identical to his.

"I know every alley and street corner around the university belt like the back of my hand" Levi tilted his head at her as he leaned his back on the stair rails the moment Mikasa locked her room door, scratching Salem's chin when the black cat jump up across his shoulders. "There is no cat café around here"

"Yeah" she admitted, crossing her arms and shifting her boot clad feet over the other "It's… downtown"

"Ahh" he nodded slowly with an amused glint in his eyes, to which Mikasa saw and glared at it. "So you plan on taking us there on foot?"

She snorted, "No. We ride a bus to get there"

Levi's expression was an immediate disgust, the idea of having to sit on worn out, bubble-gum coated leather chairs surrounded by sticky, sweaty skin and intoxicating perfumes and body odors combined was revolting. He pushed his back from the rails.

"Follow me"

She rose a brow at him but he was already making his way down the stairs. She followed not a second later to ensure her cat's safety just in case there's a trap of some sort. However, in turned out that he just led her to the garage through the door connecting to the house. Levi pulled the heavy cover of his Ducati before tossing an extra helmet at her direction. Salem was already sitting comfortably on the tank cover.

"You're serious?" she asked but the saker was already clasping the chinstrap of his own helmet. He said nothing as he pulled down his gloves and Mikasa sighed following suit.

As the garage door opened, Levi led his motorcycle outside, with Salem's tail swishing excitedly on his position. Positioning the bike outside the pavement, he closed the door behind him before swinging a leg over the vehicle. The ravenhaired motioned for her like a child, earning him a scowl from behind the helmet's glass but soon gave in when Salem mewled at her. Deciding in her mind to get this all over with, Mikasa made her way to him. With his gloved hands already grasping the clutches, she positioned herself behind him on the cowl seat but her hands refused to hug his waist, instead crossed her arms.

"Are you alright there, Salem?" she peeked over his shoulder and the cat answered with an affirmative swish of his tail and flick on his ears.

Levi shook his head, turned the key, and the engine roared into life.

"You might want to at least hold on to my coat" he spoke over his shoulder.

"Don't push your luck"

He shrugged, "Suit yourself"

Shifting into the first gear, he let the bike run smoothly over the empty campus road. That is, until it reached a revv of five thousand to six thousand rpm did Levi suddenly tilt his bike up, suspending the front wheel into the air. He performed a wheelie so smoothly, the only thing that cracked his calm demeanor into a smirk was Mikasa's string of Japanese curses as her arms betrayed her to loop around his waist as if her life depended on it.

 **~0~**

"That hurt" Levi groaned, rubbing his arm that Mikasa punched none-too gently a few seconds ago.

"Good!" she spat, glaring at the red stop light and then to the back of his helmet. "What were you thinking pulling off a stunt like that?! What if Salem fell off?!"

"But he didn't. In fact I think he enjoyed it" he replied casually, eyeing the said feline positioned securely behind the windshield that was happily feeling the breeze on his whiskers not too long ago. "Guess your master's not as tough as she let out to be, huh?"

"Don't drag him into this" she hissed.

The light turned into yellow, then to green, and Levi resumed their ride to downtown. Eventhough Mikasa was practically cursing him to the deepest pits of hell for his stunt earlier in Japanese (he recognized most of them now), he could help the tug on his lips to curl upwards. For duration of their ride, the ravenette didn't let go of her hold around his waist.

The café was simple, with a mixture of white and cream. The front was decorated with hanging and potted plants and the café's mascot which resembled a maneki neko, but instead of a coin charm, it held up a cup of coffee on one paw while the other held a grand opening sign. After parking the bike nearby, Levi glanced at the corner of the café behind him before following Mikasa inside.

* * *

"You're so… cruel… Eren…" Armin panted, a hand over his chest. "You know I'm… not… very… athletic…"

The blonde's words fell on deaf ears as the said brunette peeked none-too-subtly over the corner of the building they were hiding from, earning him suspicious looks from the passing people.

"Put yourself together Armin!" he cried back, eyes not leaving on his target. He swore he felt his heart stop when his fraternity vice-president suddenly looked at their direction as if he knew they were there. But that's impossible, right?

Unfortunately for the blonde, their video chat didn't end so smoothly. Eren called him again later that night, inviting him out to the bowling alley. Knowing that the brunette just probably needed someone next to him while he vented out his frustration (He was always secretly overprotective of the ravenette. Not just because of her past but because she's as much as a real sister to him, and treasuring family is what their parents ingrained in them ever since. Mikasa always seemed like the eldest among the three of them because of how mature she acted but their ages did not differ from one another. Now that tables have turned, it's only understandable that Eren would feel like the older brother finding out his beloved little sister is going out with some guy. Though that did not mean Armin cared less).

However, when he finally met with the brunette at the said bowling alley, he was met with two rented bikes and a very jumpy-looking Eren with a foot impatiently tapping on the cold sidewalk. Everything else became a blur after that and the next thing he knew, he was catching his breath in a gitty.

"Eren, we shouldn't be doing this. Mikasa will get mad and I thought you look up to this Levi guy"

"That is IF Mikasa finds out. As for Levi… well, for once, I don't care! **Family is home, and home is family** " he spoke his father's quote in German. "If that bastard does anything to Mikasa, I'll never forgive him!"

"Hey, I care for Mikasa too" Armin argued back. "She's as much as a family to me as you but that doesn't mean I care less because I trust her"

The brunette was about to say something back but something caught his eye. From across the street, a suspicious looking man looked warily at the cat café while pacing around for the pedestrian light.

"The heck is that horse-shit face doing here?" Eren groaned. Judging from the goofy looking glasses, thick jacket and partially lighter-colored brown hair, it wasn't that difficult to know who the person was.

"Probably out to spy on Mikasa and Levi like us"

Eren nearly fell when he sharply turned his head around only to see three familiar faces bent over their crouching forms.

"What the- the hell are you guys doing here?!" Eren exclaimed.

Annie snorted, straightening her back up before placing her fists on her hips, "You don't think that we're just going to leave our girlfriend alone on her first day unattended, do you?"

Behind her, Sasha nodded vigorously while Connie smiled apologetically at them (he's also sending SOS signals to them when the girls weren't looking- poor guy must've been dragged out here against his will).

The brunette huffed, "Fine, but if they notice us, we blame you"

Annie rolled her eyes before they proceeded to enter the newly opened cat café.

* * *

"They've been following us since we left the frat house, you know" Levi leaned over the table in a whisper while he bobbed a cat toy in the air as three kittens tried to catch it. The ravenette lied comfortably on the carpeted floor while other cats ran around. Though he caught a few cat hairs every now and again, Levi appreciated the cleanliness in the area. Salem ate happily on his bowl of cat treats.

"I know" Mikasa answered, letting out a small smile as she lifted a fuffy kitten up while a munchkin cat nuzzled her face to gain her attention. Of course she knew they were being followed. It'd be a blasphemy for her if she didn't expect Eren to pull a stunt like this what with his strange behavior yesterday. He's never really a good actor. She feels sorry for Armin, knowing that the brunette most likely dragged the poor blonde in his 'mission'. Though she half-expected her girl friends to not follow her too. "Leave them alone. If we ignore them, they might go away"

That's a bit unlikely to happen, in Levi's opinion. If he knew anything about his junior frat brother and the blonde heiress then they are nothing but relentless. He looks at them through the corner of his eye where they sat cross legged on the carpeted floor hiding behind menus. Sasha didn't last long though, soon she was scooping every cat that came near their table.

Mikasa turns to her stomach, booping her nose with the kitten and munchkin. Their food arrived from a waitress wearing the café's uniform and cat ears.

"Arigatou" Levi nodded to her and the waitress smiled, bowing her head before leaving. He caught Mikasa's raised brow to which he only shrugged. "It's basic Japanese"

The ravenette sat upright with the kitten now nibbling on the ends of her shirt while the munchkin went off to the bowl set aside for the cats to eat. Levi held down the cat toy and the three kittens pounced on the feathers before one of them caught it between its tiny teeth and run away while the others gave chase.

"Can I have some?" Mikasa asked when Levi took out some wet wipes. He looked at her quizzically at first but still lend her some before tucking it away. After wiping her hands she formed it into a ball before shooting it towards the trash bin at the far corner of the room.

"Show off" Levi mumbled before doing the same and shooting the dried tissue smack dab on the middle of the bin, earning them surprised and fascinated looks from the other customers. "How did you know the owners?"

"I met them when I was in Japan for the summer. They're nice people" she takes a bite of her sandwich. "Mitsuki's a good cook and Darwin's a seasoned entrepreneur. They've always wanted to start this business and they invited me to come here for their opening day"

"And you think inviting me is better than Eren or your friends?" he leaned in, holding the rims of his cup just under his chin. She didn't answer, but he caught her pause while she sipped on her sweet beverage. Levi leaned back. "Well, I'm not complaining. It's not as good as Nathan's dishes, to be frank, but with this theme I'm sure they'll run their business just fine"

They continued to eat in silence until the raven-haired suddenly lurched forward a bit, blue eyes widening just a minuscule.

"What's wrong?" Mikasa notices.

Levi shook his head, letting out a sigh. "I'm glad I chose to wear a thicker shirt"

A small white paw darts up from behind his left shoulder followed by a head of wide blue eyes and a small pink nose.

"I think she likes you" she couldn't help but smile as the white kitten that he was playing with before climbed up his back and further up his head. Salem follows, situating himself at his mistress's lap before stretching up to nuzzle her chin. The cat's head would turn and Levi swore that if cats could smirk, then he just saw it, again.

' _Greedy cat_ ' he sends a pointed stare and as if understanding it, the black feline only nuzzled Mikasa's chin more.

"Most of the cats here are from the shelter" she informed. "You can adopt her if you want"

"No" Levi reached up to pluck the kitten by the scruff from his head and onto his lap where he let it nibble on his finger with its small teeth.

"I thought you liked cats"

"And dogs too" he answered. "But I don't have the leisure time to train and clean up their shits every hour or two"

She rolls her eyes, "They don't ' _shit'_ that much"

Two more kittens suddenly pounced on his lap from each side, mewling at him to gain his attention. Mikasa always had a soft spot for anything adorable… the kittens.

"You know I've always wondered," he started just as he took up the nearest cat toy and start bobbing it in front of the kittens again. "Why you named your cat after an unpleasant event in history"

She looked impressed, "You're familiar with the Salem Witch Trials?"

"I read whatever I get my hands on when I'm bored out of my mind"

"Seems like we have something in common then," she commented, "It's not really much of a story. It's actually really silly. You'll just bore yourself"

"Try me. I have a friend who tells the worst bullshit stories. I'm pretty sure I can survive yours"

"Don't you ever stop cursing?"

He shrugs, "Only if I'm in a good mood, or if I really, _really_ need to. Can't help it, it's become part of my vocabulary. You don't survive in the slums talking nicely, you know"

 **~0~**

"What the fuck are they talking about?" Eren whispered through clenched, ears straining to hear the two ravenheads talking a few tables in front of them.

"As if you can hear them from here" Annie rolls her eyes, taking another sip of her coffee.

Armin tries to talk the brunette out of it every now and then but Eren's just too stubborn. Connie long gave up and was eating happily with his tuna sandwich while Sasha was on her stomach since they arrived, alternating between eating the bread and sandwich from their basket and playing with the nearest cat she could reach.

"Why aren't you helping?" the brunette sneered.

"We came here to spy on Mikasa, not sabotage her date"

 **~0~**

"You're right, that was a silly reason" he deadpanned. She would've glared at him for being sarcastic if not for the way his brows were raised.

"I told you. I was a little girl back then, and that TV show was a big hit. I always wanted a pet, now I have a black cat like Sabrina. The only thing missing is that he'd start talking and reveal himself as an old warlock punished into being a cat for a hundred years for trying to take over the world" she raised the black feline up, kissing his nose.

A flash of memory reminded her of a rainy night and hearing a cry in the alley she passed by only to find a weak, newly-born black kitten that could barely stand up lying next to his dead mother and stillborn siblings. She went back the next day with Eren and Armin to bury his family.

"I was surprised you got along" she started, settling Salem back down on her lap and scratch his chin. "Salem isn't very friendly. It took some time for him to stop scratching Armin and the Jaegers, and a few more to stop ignoring them"

"We still don't" he answered immediately, blues shifting on mismatched ones. "The damn thing wouldn't stop crying when you got sick"

As if understanding him, Salem bared his fangs to the ravenhead with a warning hiss and Levi responded by leaning over and say-

"Woof"

Mikasa couldn't help the laugh that escaped her mouth even when she covered it with her hand and look away.

Hearing her laugh made a part of him swell with content, and a flutter of butterflies in his stomach. If she wasn't looking away to hide her embarrassment, she would've seen the slight upturn at the corner of his lips.

* * *

"So what's next?"

Levi asked once they left the café. They talked about random things under the sun, from current events and even politics, whilst throwing bits and complaining about their friends and about themselves. They learned that aside from sweets, he likes tea and she likes fruits; he likes the sunrise and she likes the sunset; he likes blue and she likes red; they both wanted to go skydiving one day.

"What do you mean?" Mikasa rose a brow at him, tucking Salem under her coat by her chest.

"What else do you have planned for today?" he walks over to his bike and brings out their helmets.

She shrugged, "Go home, read a book, and maybe order some pizza?"

The ravenhead pauses, leans by his bike and took his turn in raising a brow "That's it? Well that was… disappointing" he sighed the last bit.

The ravenette frowned at that, straightening her back. "What, you think I planned something more after this?" when realization came to her, Mikasa snorted and shook her head. "Don't push your luck, _chibi_ "

"Considering that it was a good start, I thought that there would be something more up your sleeve. Unfortunately, I overestimated you" he clicked his tongue to further display his disappointment. "This is the shittiest date I've ever been to"

Straightening her back, she looked down on him in spite. "Well tough luck for you then, because I never said this was a date"

"You asked me out to eat at a café," he tilted his head to the right, then to the left. "We spent most of the morning alone together, and even your friends and brother have been following us on our tails because they either want to sabotage us or find good blackmail material against us"

While he does have a point, she's at least confident that they wouldn't do anything of the sort. At least, not Armin or Connie or Sasha. Annie maybe but she bets Eren is living out his family name this time.

"Well I certainly don't want the effort I did to prepare for this to come to waste" he walks closer, head dipped down and slightly tilted to the side with piercing blue eyes meeting up her coal ones in silent challenge. Once he's in front of her, Levi stops, so close that she could feel his minty breath over her neck. "And here I was looking forward to finally spend time with you, Mikasa"

She was about to retort but suddenly clamped her mouth shut. "Wha-"

Before she knew it her vision was obscured and something felt heavy wrap around her head.

"What are you doing?" her eyes squinted at him warningly and she tried to step back but Levi kept a steady hand in fastening the helmet strap under her chin. He ignored her question and grabbed her hand in a firm grip before leading her towards his motorcycle. Salem had already jumped down and situated himself on his position on the black bike, tail swishing to and fro to feel the wind over his whiskers again. "Wait- stop- you can't just-! Chi- Levi!"

His steps immediately stopped on his tracks and she was more than ready to retort but suddenly found herself tongue-tied and incapable.

"I think I rather like you calling me by my name, _gaki_ "

He tugged her forward and this time, she didn't protest and climbed on his bike. Levi strapped on his own helmet and was soon starting the engine. It rumbled to life and he made sure Salem was sitting in front properly before he revved the handles.

"What are you doing?" was what the ravenette could only muster behind him.

"I don't want any interruptions so we're going to ditch these brats and-" he turns his head to her, "I'm going to show you what a _real_ date is like"

His words fell on deaf ears due to her hammering heart and fluttering stomach. Because no matter how much she wanted to deny it, it did not change the fact that Levi Ackerman just smiled at her.

 **SOAR (ṦO∆R)**

 **Saker Omni Delta Rho**


	14. Chapter 14

Levi's black Ducati Superbike hummed across the road, whizzing pass other motorcycles and sports cars as they neared towards their destination. Since schools are open, the wide road is more open and more comfortable to ride close to the speed limit without fearing of crashing like a stupid driver. Then again, he did participate in that mountain motorcycle race when he was in high school back in France. As much as the ravenhaired hated the exposure to the environmental dirt, the adrenaline rush and the feeling of being one with the wind has forever left a mark in him.

He slows down to a stop to park the motorcycle on the bike lane near the entrance.

"An amusement park?" Mikasa questioned as they took off their helmets. If her memory serves her right, she's seen this park in one of Eren's photos when he told them how he took the time exploring outside the campus last semester. It's a decent sized park, making up for its location at the beach and ocean. Levi kicked the stand down and Salem padded over to his mistress somewhat dazed but tail swishing side to side in glee.

"We're dressed for it anyway" he answered, "When was the last time you've been in one?"

She took her time getting off the bike, as if it was any hard. Levi's eyes found themselves staring at her pursing lips in thought.

"It's actually been a long time"

"I made a good decision then" he motions for her to follow and led towards the entrance. Once it was their turn to the ticket booth, Levi slipped on a ring from inside his coat before paying the fee.

"Sorry sir but no pets allowed" the woman behind the booth pointed at Salem.

"He's fine" he supplied. "I'll pay extra if that's the case"

The woman shook her head, pointing to her right to where the sign held the park's rules. "I'm very sorry sir, ma'am, but I just can't allow it"

Levi snorted, crossing his arms. "Then call your manager, I'm sure we can negotiate"

She was about to retort but it just so happens that the said manager appeared out of nowhere as if being summoned. Levi glowered when a heavy arm looped around his neck followed by a noogie to the head.

"Well if it isn't Levi! Haven't seen ya since last semester's initiation! You haven't grown taller at all!" the man exclaimed excitedly followed by a boisterous laughter. Levi narrowed his gaze at Mikasa when the ravenette hid a laugh behind a cough.

"Daniel" the younger man half-groaned, half-greeted.

"So what brings you here in this side of town?" Levi ringed his wrist casually to subtly show the glint of the blue and white crossed wings- his fraternity ring. When the park manager got the silent message, his jovial expression fell for a second before addressing the lady behind the booth. "I'll take it from here, darling! Sorry for keeping the line folks! Y'all have a nice day!"

With his arm still looped around Levi's head, he motioned for Mikasa to follow and the raven-haired nodded to her in affirmation. They went around near the security house. Dan stopped and smiled at Mikasa before pulling Levi a bit father to one side. Daniel crossed his arms over his chest.

"So, what is it that you want, little brother?"

Levi shrugged and nudged his head towards the ravenette's direction. "Nothing much. Just need you to make a little exception for the cat"

The older Saker looked up to see the black feline lounging lazily around his mistress's shoulders while she absently stroked behind his ear.

"You called me out here just for that?" he rose a brow.

"It's a faster tactic"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously"

Daniel continued to look at the raven-haired but when it seems that the French wouldn't deter, he sighed and shook his head.

"You know, I've been waiting for you to finally ask a favor from me since you're the only Saker that hasn't asked your big brother- me- of anything yet, but I guess I just expected that you're gonna ask me something… I dunno, big? After all, you _are_ under _his_ wing"

"Sorry to disappoint" Nope, he's not sorry at all. "But that cat is special"

"Well, I guess I can bend the rules for you, little brother. You don't need to use your favor, this one's on me" The older man sighed before clasping Levi's shoulder and giving it a squeeze. Daniel nudged his chin behind Levi and the younger Saker didn't need to know who he's pointing to. "Your new girlfriend must be something, huh Levi? She must be something special for you to waste an older brother's favor just so your girlfriend's cat can enter the park"

Levi's eyes narrowed oh so subtly, face remained passive. "She's not my girlfriend"

But the brunette only rose a brow at him before laughing. He went inside the security house before approaching Mikasa.

"Do you have a leash for him at least, miss?" he asked and Mikasa narrowed her gaze at the both of them.

"I do" she said reluctantly, "But he doesn't like it very much"

Daniel smiled at her, "I'm sorry miss but it's just a means for precaution. I'm going to make an exception for your cat. But you will be held responsible for him so anything that… well… might cause an accident because of him, will be blamed on you"

Her eyes remained narrow as she weighed in what the park manager just said. It wasn't hard to figure out that the older man knew the midget, what with the way he noticed Levi's ring. It only confirmed her suspicions when he called him ' _little brother_ '. Eren had mentioned that ṦO∆R alumni are properly referred to as elder brothers while those who haven't graduated yet are younger brothers. If her memory serves her right, he also mentioned that they're going to have a fraternity meeting after exams.

On one hand, she could use this opportunity to leave and head back home to enjoy her mug of swiss miss with marshmallows- lathered with thick whipped cream, her notes splayed over her desk, and listening to a low volume of Daichi Miura's songs while Salem sleeps on her bed. She'll order her pizza later. Yeah, that sounds perfect.

"Alright" she consented and gently looped the straps around the cat's upper body. The cat looked at her for a while before starting to bite and claw on the red leash. With a sigh, Mikasa pulled it from his teeth before replacing with her finger for him to nibble instead. "Sorry Salem, just bear with it for a while"

While the black cat continued to stubbornly nibble on his mistress' finger- albeit gentler now, Daniel came up to pin a tag on the collar.

"Make sure you don't lose it" he informed. "The park keeps a few cats here for pest control while the dogs work with security. As long as you have this, the staff won't bother you"

* * *

"An amusement park? How original" Annie mused while they waited in line at the ticket booth.

After Mikasa and Levi left the café, they immediately followed suit. As expected, Eren became more livid when they didn't head back to the university. Whilst the others travelled using Annie's car (Bertholdt's, to be exact), she was mildly impressed at how Eren fought to catch up with his sister- fueled by his protectiveness. She felt sorry for Armin though, and offered the fellow blonde to ride with them. The athletically-lacking blonde smiled appreciatively when they strapped his bike on the car.

"Where the hell are they?!" the brunette hissed through gritted teeth, moving his head here and there for any sign of two ravenheads.

"Could somebody keep him in line- literally?"

"I'll try" Armin smiled apologetically as he approached the brunette.

"Hey guys, I think we're in the wrong place" Connie commented, earning their attentions before pointing at the park's rules sign.

Annie squinted her eyes "That's impossible, you all saw them enter here, didn't you?"

She was answered by nodding heads, all of which had a look of confusion in them.

"Yeah, and I know Mikasa will never leave Salem alone" Eren's brows furrowed before it shot up, "Shit! Did they ditch us?!"

"Well if it isn't Eren and Connie" they turned their heads at the intrusion and the aforementioned Sakers nearly doubled over when they saw one of their older brothers walk up to them.

"D-Daniel!"

"Big brother Daniel"

The brunette smirked, "Fancy seeing you guys here. Aren't you guys supposed to be studying? As far as I know, exams start in a few days. As for Levi… I wouldn't be surprised though. No offense"

Eren suddenly perked up at that, "Levi… big brother, have you seen Levi?!"

He surprised the older Saker when he grabbed his shoulders, green eyes brimming with determination. Daniel looked at the younger Saker confusedly, switching from him and Connie and to the rest of their companions.

"Yeah, I saw him just a minute ago. He's on a date with this pretty Asian girl- I think she's his new girlfriend but he denied it. I don't believe it though, after all, why would he bother calling me out just to make an exception for her cat?"

Annie's brow raised at that. Well that was an interesting bit of information.

* * *

"Isn't it about time you start asking me which ride I want in first?" Mikasa queried, ignoring the looks she got from the other people in the park because of her feline sitting on her shoulders. By the way he's swishing his tail, he seems to be delighted with the attention.

Levi turned to raise a delicate brow at her, "Why?"

She shrugged, "Isn't that what you're supposed to ask on a date?"

"So you finally acknowledge this as a date?"

The ravenette halted at that, her eyes glaring at him at his audacity just to ignore the sudden upbeat of her heart. "Watch it, _chibi_ "

Levi just snorted with a quick smirk before resuming his walk. Mikasa followed in silence, weighing the decision in her mind if she should just make a run for it and leave the midget. Salem never liked the leash (though he's pretty fond of his collar) and so does she. Mikasa only brings it along just in case because the black cat often becomes wary in new places and tends to run off.

Mikasa was too into her thoughts that she didn't notice the crowd getting denser since they're approaching the rides.

"What are you doing?"

"I know what you're thinking, _gaki_ " she was about to retort but he continued. "I'm not going through all this shit just for you to bail out on me. Besides, I told you, the date won't start until we ditch those friends and brother of yours"

A part of her wished that she brought her scarf so she could hike it up her nose to hide the pink dusting over her cheeks. Unfortunately, her coat will have to do as she fought her body to remain normal and ignore the fact that he's holding her hand.

How could someone with such small stature have such big, warm hands?

* * *

"They w-w-went in t-there?" Armin asked squeamishly as the blaring entrance of the scariest ride in the park loomed over them menacingly, making them forget that it was broad daylight outside.

"Ho? Now that I think about it, they did say that this park has the scariest horror attraction in the entire city" Annie commented, staring back at the well-made gargoyle that looked at if it's staring back at her. "Gotta give them props for making it look this realistic"

"A-A-Annie!" Sasha rebuked, flinching when they heard an ear-piercing scream coming from the entrance of the exhibit- past the creepy looking gates. It didn't help that the design for the waiting area of the haunted house made them enter a dome that was designed as if they were in a real graveyard in the middle of a dark forest.

The undeterred blonde took a step forward, looking back at her companions, eyeing particularly on her friend's stiff brother. "Shall we get going? At this rate, they'll be too far ahead for us to follow"

That seemed to garner his attention. Eren swallowed thickly before putting on a brave face, casting aside his slightly shaking hands. Green eyes glancing wearily every now and then at the staff dressed as a creepy clown just standing on one side of the entrance, staring directly at them. He's a brave guy, really, he is. But he can't hide the fact that the move 'IT' may have traumatized him as a kid.

"Let's go" he announced, a little louder than necessary.

* * *

Mikasa was more amazed than scared as they took their time walking along the corridors of the haunted house. She would sometimes stare back and appreciate the well-designed ghosts or mannequins that were meant for jumpscares. It felt more like a tour in a museum that some of the staff that were meant to scare them rubbed their heads at their undeterred expressions before wishing them to have a fun time.

(Deep in her mind, after the horror of witnessing her own parents' deaths before her innocent eyes, nothing would scare her more than that. She's no robot, she's just simply… immune)

"Tch" Levi clicked his tongue at the sight of a rat. He loathed pests as much as he loathed dust and grime. He can't wait to get out but if he wants this date to go uninterrupted then he has to make they'd lose their pursuers, especially her brother. He looked back at the young woman lagging a few feet behind him, "Don't tell me you're scared. Do you want me to hold your hand again?"

Though it was dark, his blue eyes could clearly see the shade of red against her creamy skin. Levi inwardly smirked.

"As if, _chibi_ " she snapped, taking long strides to stop just behind him.

" _Gaki_ " he snorted.

"How did you know Eren's afraid of clowns?" she finally asked once they passed by a corridor full of the scariest looking clowns with ear-splitting grins. Some of which even followed their gazes as they walked by.

"I don't know if the others saw it, but he was pretty jumpy during the clown scene when we watched Poltergeist" though he had to commend the brunette for hiding it so well. He wouldn't notice it himself if he didn't knew the look of true utter horror in his eyes.

Mikasa sighed, letting out a small smile at the nostalgia of her terrified brother of anything that remotely resembles a clown, and a red balloon. She was admittedly regretful after they watched the movie 'IT' but now, after he mellowed from his fear _a little bit_ , it's kind of fun scaring him off every once in a while. In a strange, sadistic sort of way.

They heard a scream and her childhood distress senses jumped in alert at the familiar scream.

"Armin" she looked back.

"Finally" Levi snorted as they stayed still in the realistically-made haunted hallway as more screams followed one after the other.

The ravenette shook her head. A part of her wanted to go and rescue her horrified childhood friends… which was supposed to be her chance to excuse herself and leave Levi. Yet her feet remained as they were. Soon the screams slowly drifted away as if they stopped moving forward and are starting to go back where they started. She felt a twinge of pity for Annie that she has to handle all of them.

' _I should give her some of those favorite muffins of hers as thanks for her trouble_ ' she noted to herself.

* * *

Annie groaned after she apologized at the staff wearing a clown costume- who was unfortunately punched by Eren on his nose before he ran off with the others. When she finally met up with them, they were huddled in a corner trembling and looking anxiously from side to side as if another holographic ghost would pop out of nowhere.

"Just how did Mikasa put up with you guys?" she crossed her arms. "So? Had enough?"

Three heads turned to Eren who quickly mustered a brave face as he stood up, eyes pleaded to call it quits. This place wasn't called the scariest horror attraction for nothing. Reluctantly, the brunette nodded, making Annie press the emergency button given to them by the entrance as they waited for a staff (dressed normally this time, thank goodness) to lead them back to the entrance.

"FUCK! Shit! Get them off me! Get them off me!"

Eren hid subtly behind the blonde as they stared at a frantic Jean swatting and brushing off realistic looking spiders off of his body as two clowns cackled and jeered at his misfortune.

"He's with us" Annie sighed tiredly when the staff asked them.

* * *

"Don't" Levi warned when they exited the haunted house. They were met with congratulations and thanks as they were given each a lanyard and a miniature model of the haunted house for completing the horror attraction in record time.

Mikasa slightly pursed her lip at him before looking back at the small group that walked away in shame at the opposite direction. She wonders if she should confront Eren about following her on this… rendezvous. She knew he just cares but doing this just feels so over the top, and also dragging poor Armin along? She should buy him a new book or treat him at Polar Bear café as thanks for the trouble.

Salem's tail flicked at her nose, disrupting her thoughts. She reached up and scratched behind the cat's ear. He's gotten used to the leash already.

"Now that they're out of the way" she heard him start and had widened her eyes when she turned to see the raven Saker so close to her. He may be just by the level of the bridge of her nose but she had a full view of his blue eyes were clearer, and looked more expressive than his face. "Which one do you want to ride first, Mikasa?"

.

Bumper car it was then. Unfortunately, as much as how the feline enjoys the speed around his whiskers, Salem wasn't particularly fond of the feeling of getting bumped into every now and again. Mikasa was reluctant of leaving the black cat with the ride manager but that eventually dissipated when the feline started gathering some attention for his own. By the way he sat straight and flicked his tail here and there, he's just loving the attention.

"A two-seater then, sir, ma'am?" asked the staff when it was their turn.

"No" Mikasa answered immediately, narrowing her eyes a bit as she made her way to the nearest one-seater. While the staff blinked dumfounded, Levi just shook his head as he settled himself on another two-seater.

The ring was large enough that at the start, people just drove around like it was a race until one bump into another and chaos ensued. She doesn't have a car but Eren's father had taught her how to drive the family car when she turned sixteen. So she was able to avoid collision with little bumps and there. She was doing fine until she finally caught sight of Levi who expertly slipped away from any car as if it was nothing.

She maneuvered her car behind him as she waited for the perfect opportunity to charge and knock the arrogance out of him. She stepped hard on the pedal and her car locked onto his. However, just as she was about to touch his car, he suddenly swiveled out of the direction, making Mikasa falter as he spun around to hit behind her car instead.

When she looked back, he had his cheek resting on his palm on the wheel with one corner of his lips upturned. She glared at him, accepting his silent challenge.

It went on like that for the remainder of their ride. They focused on one-upping the other that the other riders left the 'couple' to their own devises, some of the people watching even commented that they're a cute couple. Most of the time it was Mikasa chasing him around, and when she thought she finally caught him, he'll suddenly turn the tables and bump her instead. He even used the chaos around them as he cornered her between three other cars.

Despite the irked look on her face, she hadn't realized that it's been such a long time since she felt her heart race like this with excitement.

Finally, Levi stopped in one corner, leaving him suspiciously wide open. However, she took the bait and charged after him. But when her car just barely touched his, the power went out, signaling the end of their ride.

"Better luck next time, gaki" he remarked at her over his shoulder as she bit inside her cheeks in indignation.

.

When he asked her again which ride she wanted next, Mikasa instead told him that she wanted to play at the game booths.

"You know those shitty games are rigged" he raised a brow at her.

"A Saker is the manager of this park, I doubt one of your oath brothers would do something dishonest to their customers" she said as a matter of factly, already making her way up and pay the fee. Levi mused at her correct answer.

"So am I supposed to ask which one of these prizes you want me to get you?" Levi asked, leaning his arms on the counter.

Mikasa would've groaned but found herself amused instead, forcing the sudden laugh into a cough when she saw that he was genuine with his question. She handed him his set of darts. "Stop being disgusting for once"

After memorizing the set of balloons she has to hit for a winning combination, the ravenette launched her darts with perfect precision. Being in the archery club have its perks. The giddiness of her long, dormant childhood began to swell when she hit the balloons she wanted. The ravenette popped the last one and the booth manager congratulated her and let her choose among the prizes. She's not really one for prizes so she just chose the simplest yet cutest one for her taste. The light blue, furry cat-eared hood with long extensions in which she can stuff her hands in.

The ravenette was actually happy with it that it made her smile. When she turned to Levi, she gave him a ' _top that_ ' look.

"If you lose, you're going to have to wear this for the rest of the day" she challenged, to which Levi answered by swiftly tossing his darts at the balloons one after the other without stopping to properly aim. It hit every balloon in the combination but as he was about to launch his last dart, Salem suddenly jumped at him, making him falter and miss the target.

Levi glared at the black feline to which he just flicked his tail. He turned his gaze to Mikasa and she didn't bother to hide the amused smirk on her face. Silently commending Salem with a scratch behind his ear, Mikasa almost skipped in front of him as she deliberately wore the hood on his head.

.

Her amused grin never left her face as Levi scowled at her for the fifth time.

"Aren't you going to ask me what I want to do next?" she teased, hands behind her back as she bent slightly from her hips to meet his narrowed gaze. It's like teasing a grumpy looking cat.

He huffed, crossing his arms as he turned away, choosing not to answer her. Yet when he heard her stifled laughter, his features softened.

"Come on, midget"

Only a little bit.

.

The next they played on another game booth. A shooting game. With the same bet they rose another challenge. Mikasa was able to hit her targets, aiming mostly at the smaller targets that racked higher points. When the booth manager asked her what prize she wanted, the ravenette just told him that whoever won between them can choose the prize.

So when she turned to look at Levi, again on his last pellet, he hit the barely noticeable target that had the machine blaring loudly with noise. The manager explained that it was a secret target that ultimately meant that Levi won.

Mikasa's grin fell and her mouth clamped shut.

"Well, aren't I lucky?" Levi smirked at her and she glared.

When he was asked for the prize, Levi chose the same cat-eared hood. Without pretense, he reached up and placed it on her head as her daze turned into a scowl of her own. She could feel the people's eyes looking at them with amusement.

"I think I win again, gaki" he mused, hinting at his win during their bumper cart challenge.

Mikasa narrowed her eyes dangerously at the faux fur extension of the hood she had no choice to wear. For instead of the same light blue hood, he chose the one that was colored pink.

* * *

"Hmm? Isn't that…?" a messy-haired redhead squinted her eyes, pausing mid-lick on her ice cream when she caught sight of a familiar clean haircut on a short stature. She maneuvered and took a peek from behind a huddled crowd. Her basil green eyes widened just as her mouth. she almost dropped her ice cream.

"Oh my god…" she just couldn't believe it! The redhead immediately snapped from her daze to quickly fish out her phone that had the same silver bell charm dangling on it. Rapidly tapping the screen, she took several pictures of the young man she knew full well was her older brother.

" _Mama and Farlan have got to see this!_ " she squealed excitedly in french, immediately sending out copies to her second older brother.

"Hey Isabel! Hurry up, it's our turn next!"

"Coming!" she answered as she practically skipped towards her friends. As much as she want to go and hug her beloved brother, she couldn't find it in herself to interrupt his date. Especially when she could clearly see that he's enjoying himself!

* * *

They continued to play one game after the other, this time each one ended with a tie. Stopping only when they found themselves hungry. Resorting for some junk foods, they went over to the food court. With a temporary truce, they ordered some nachos, burgers and some others. Mikasa eyed the assortment of grease and calories but she eventually gave in as it wasn't bad to let her indulge once in a while. She'll just make up for it with a nice salad later at dinner.

The ravenette stared weirdly with the people at the sight of Levi wiping his chair and table with wipes and alcohol. She just sighed, willing herself to get used to his OCD-ness- wait, why should she even bother?

She sat herself across from him just as he finished before setting down their drinks and ask for some wet wipes. To which he gladly gave her some. They eventually ate in silence with Mikasa scowling every now and again when the hood's extension got caught in her sleeves. Levi smirked and she sent him a glare. Meanwhile, Salem lounged himself nonchalantly at their table as he waited for them to eat, not particularly hungry himself.

Every once in a while, people- mostly kids- would come up and ask them if they could pet or take a picture with the black cat to which Mikasa let them. Salem wasn't shy of his exposure either, sometimes even striking a pose or two.

"Thank you very much! You and your boyfriend have a really cute pet"

The ravenette felt her eye twitch. They had been referring to them as a couple ever since they set foot in this place.

"He's not my boyfriend" she answered sternly.

"Hm? But you two look so cute together. I mean, you're wearing matching clothes after all- especially that couple hoodie!" she squealed and ran off to her own boyfriend before Mikasa could even correct her.

Levi turned to the young woman across the table and saw the twinge of pink dusting her cheeks. He's been letting her deal with those people for a while now. either he was immune or simply ignored their gushes between them. then again, he wasn't exactly complaining.

"So, what do you say for some dessert, girlfriend?" he teased and way her cheeks flushed to the tips of her ears as she reacted to his words with both anger and embarrassment was worth it.

"Oh shut up!"

.

"What the heck is that?" she narrowed her eyes when he returned with a single glass of parfait large enough for two people… with straws facing them.

"I saw you eyeing it earlier"

Which wasn't false. She had set her eyes on the triple chocolate parfait while they were ordering.

"But that's a-"

"Couple parfait?" he finished for her, "Yes, it is"

Mikasa bit her lower lip, try as she might to keep her glare as her stomach started fluttering. She's blaming the sweet treat's temptation. Yes, that has to be it.

"Then why-"

"You can only buy it as a couple treat. I told the old man that you're my girlfriend"

The way he said that without a second thought made her clamp her lips together and look away, lowering her head in reflex just like her childhood days. She wished she wore her scarf so she could hide herself under it.

"If you don't want, I can finish this by myself" he taunted, shoving an ice cream spoon towards her direction.

"No way" she finally responded, snatching the spoon and jab it on the chocolate coated vanilla. "D-Don't push your luck, _chibi_ "

* * *

"Why are we here again?" Levi asked as Mikasa adjusted the settings on the screen.

"Because I wanted to know whether they're as good as the ones in Japan"

The Saker rolled his eyes but then again pulled her close before the countdown reached to zero.

* * *

"So are you ready to go on a real ride or are you gonna challenge me on a game again?" he raised a brow once they exited the booth.

Mikasa pursed her lips, looking to one side.

"Finally given up, gaki?"

No response.

"Mikasa?"

The ravenette tightened her hold around her cat closer to her chest before turning her head. She may be taller but the way she sheepishly looked up to him while she tried to keep make an annoyed or neutral face despite the pink dusting her cheeks, made her look like she's looking up at him instead.

"Levi"

He felt himself swallow when she said his name. She blinked before finally pointing to one ride.

* * *

The roller coaster, the swing ride, the sky tower, heck even the teacup ride and carousel. The rest of the day they spent riding on all the park has to offer that it caught them until sundown. They didn't even notice that the sun had already set. All except one ride- the Ferris wheel. He doesn't exactly know why but when he asked, Mikasa sharply turned her gaze away as if the large wheel burned her eyes as she whispered, almost pleading, for them to try anything else. Anything except that.

He never asked again.

After she said his name, all she had to do was point and she got what she wanted. She didn't challenge him again, not that he minded. She didn't glare at him every time they exchanged words, not that he minded. She didn't even make any other snarky remarks but continued to call him ' _chibi'_. Again, not that he minded. In fact, she… smiled more?

If the slight upturn of her lips and the sparkle in her eyes when he asked her which ride she wanted to try next was any indication- well, he'll take what he can get. And he found himself liking this side of her better. Better than her more expressive version of her distaste of him. When he thought she was burning with that fire, this time she was practically glowing.

And he felt himself rather liking the feeling in his chest. it felt right.

.

Mikasa stifled her laughter as she looked at another photo she and Levi took inside the Purikura photo booth they tried earlier. Not because they looked cute- in her opinion, Salem was the only thing that was cute in all of the pictures- but because of how horrible they actually looked. The glitters and exaggerated signs only made them look worse. They were like a pair of black stains on a colorful canvas. She knew she wasn't very photogenic but she hadn't thought she'd found someone as worse as her.

"Laughing at your own demise?" she looked up as Levi sat next to her on the rock. After they ran out of activities, they resigned themselves into just taking a step back and enjoy the beachside of the park. Just watching the starless sky but overwhelmed by the moon's glow.

Salem had long since fell asleep beside her.

"Technically, I'm laughing at your demise too" she answered back.

They stayed in silence. Alternately watching the push and pull of the waves over the sandy beach and the bright glow of a full moon.

"Still think I'm a cold-hearted person who only cared for himself?" he suddenly asked, making her look at him in confusion before remembering the phrase from when she was sick.

Instead, she chuckled, pulling her legs up to rest her arms on them as she regarded him with a slight turn of her head.

"I guess not all of it was frozen"

Levi snorted but accepted the answer nonetheless.

"So now that you've experienced what a real date is like, the next time you ask someone out, it should be like this. Now, did you even learn anything?"

"Maybe" she hummed. "Or maybe none at all"

He huffed, "At least admit that this is better than the shitty date you took me this morning"

"It wasn't a date" She rolled her eyes. he was about to beg the differ when he caught her head turn to him a little more, this time with a small smile on her face as she lightly bumped her shoulder with his. "And it wasn't that shitty either"

He feels his own lips form a small smile of his own.

" _Gaki_ "

" _Chibi_ "

* * *

They ate dinner at some eatery that allowed them to bring Salem along, after which they rode silently back to campus. Completely unnoticing the chilly air as Mikasa automatically wrapped her arms around his torso when they sat on his bike.

When they returned to the frat house, the other members were eating dinner with a certain brunette suspiciously absent. Erwin explain that Eren had stayed with his childhood friend- Armin Arlert for the night, relieving the ravenette.

But what really caused the Sakers to stop eating from their Chinese takeout and bulge their eyes away from the TV, was the fact that the Mikasa Ackerman greeted and most of all, smiled at them (albeit it was a small smile- a smile is still a smile) as she held a sleeping Salem in her arms and make her way up to her room. When Levi turned up and noticed their complimenting hoods, the raven Saker only narrowed his eyes at them warningly before following the ravenette up the stairs.

"Not a single word and I might not castrate you"

Erd and Gunther offered their condolences to Jean as he admitted defeat.

"Hey" Mikasa called as she unlocked her room. Levi raised a brow at her, "Thanks for today. I… I had fun"

"I had fun too"

She briefly tugged the corners of her lips higher before she turned on her heel and close the door behind her.

When Levi entered his room, he looked the door as he leaned his head back on the wood. At that same moment, they both let out a breath and for once welcomed the incessant beating of their hearts. They went to sleep with a ghost of a smile of their faces as they realized it's the first time in a very long time since they enjoyed themselves with another person's company aside from their family.

* * *

Celestine Fontaine smiled widely with her hands clapping excitedly as she listened to her two foster children tell her their findings.

Finally, her eldest son found himself a woman. She just hopes that this time it's the right one.

 **SOAR (ṦO∆R)**

 **Saker Omni Delta Rho**

* * *

 **Thank you for you continued support! Please let me know what you think!**

 **Ciao~!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Yo! I'm back! Hehe… please don't hurt me.**

 **So… someone asked if I'm going to increase this fic's rating... I have a sample by the end of the chapter.**

* * *

A finger tapped rhythmically on his tabletop as he stared at the loading screen of his laptop. Levi takes a sip in his mug of swiss miss chocolate, checking for the third time if the camera was in a perfect angle just in case. There was a beep that told him that someone had entered their group video call and he smiled a small smile at his cheery foster sister. He sent her a chat telling her that he can't hear her and Isabel rummaged through her own screen to check. Two more beeps came and Levi adjusted the three screens that popped up, sorting his foster siblings on one side while leaving a bigger portion for his foster mother.

Levi rarely smiles, if not- at all, and the only people who had the luxury of seeing those rare, genuine smiles were his family. So when his foster mother- Celestine Fontaine appeared on his screen, he made sure to greet her with his best.

" _Bonjour mamá._ " He greeted in his first language and the middle aged woman gushed as she adjusted her shawl over her shoulders.

" _Oh Levi, how are you dear?_ " she smiled back.

" _I've been well,_ _mamá. How about you? How's your garden coming along?_ " he nodded courteously, eyes raking in the sight of the woman from the other side of the screen and the room behind her.

A pang of nostalgia and longing spiked him at the sight of the place that will forever be his home. He and his siblings weren't able to return and visit her during the break and even though they never failed to skip a day of video calls and had sent their birthday gifts to her, it will never beat the experience of actually being there. Levi honestly preferred the silent, boring setting of his foster mother's home in the province than their previous home in Paris when she used to take care of them. Not that it makes it any less, it's just that the province was a wonderful escape from the stresses of his college life. It also brought him peace of mind that almost made his dark childhood nonexistent.

" _All the seeds you sent me are growing wonderfully dear, thank you._ " she smiled brightly, leaning back on her chair.

There was a sound of static until his sister's voice blasted off from his speakers.

" _HI MAMA! HI BIG-BRO!_ "

Levi winced at the shrieking volume, and leveled the brunette a scowl before greeting her back. " _Not so loud, Isabel. It's good to see you too._ "

She flushed in embarrassment and exchanged greetings with their mother. Celestine gushed at how beautiful Isabel had grown as Farlan finally showed himself on the screen and occupied his chair.

" _Yo I'm here! What'd I miss? Mama! I missed you so much! You look amazing! It's like you're twenty years younger!_ " the blonde gushed and was responded by a feeble reprimand from their giggling mother.

Levi rolled his eyes at his brother's antics. Then again, seeing his family with genuine smiles and unbridled laughter brought relief and joy in him. At least he knows that they're safe and happy. All three of them had troubled beginnings, and if not for this woman who had nurtured them and loved them for who they are and not the disturbed and difficult children the world had shunned away, they would never have gone anywhere. They knew and were eternally grateful, and him and his siblings vowed to return the favor a hundredfold- for their mother, and for each other.

He may not openly show it, but Levi loves his family above anything. Blood-relations be damned.

" _So how are my angels doing? How are your studies?_ " Celestine asked.

Farlan let out a tired sigh as he leaned his back on his chair's backrest, tugging the wire that connected his headphones to his desktop.

" _Tired._ " He groaned. " _One of our professors for a minor subject thinks that he's teaching a major subject so he's got us on a leash since day one. We have a report that he wants us to do and he wants it to be a video presentation!_ "

Levi clicked his tongue at that, casting him a sympathetic look. He knows very well what that feels like. Especially since he's far from being a social person and prefers to do individual work. But if his brother wants to earn his bachelor's degree in criminal justice and get a good profile before he enters the police academy without a single failing mark, then he'll have no choice but to endure.

" _My condolences._ " He raised his mug at him to which Farlan hung his head, waving a hand in dismissal at his woes.

" _Oh don't be such a baby, Farlan! Video presentations aren't that bad!_ " Isabel piped in, shifting the topic to her.

The blonde sent his sister a half-hearted glower. " _Well we can't all be camera-friendly like you, Isabel._ "

She stuck her tongue out but her smile and the giggle that followed didn't do well to hide her amusement at their brother's demise.

" _Oh right! I almost forgot!_ " Isabel scrambled across her desk, grinning from ear to ear before she shoved a poster at the camera. Levi stared at the bold letters of a theatrical play and the corner of his lips quirked when he read her name among the cast. " _Our class is gonna perform a play and I'll finally get to play a major character!_ "

She squealed excitedly as their mother fawned over Isabel's achievement. Even Farlan's face instantly brightened at the news. Though he didn't show the same energy of enthusiasm, the fond look on Levi's face alone as he stared at his sister's excitement through his laptop screen was more than enough to show his happiness. He only wished that she was beside him right now and not behind a screen so he could give her a pat in the head- just like how he always did.

" _I'm not the main character though. I'll be playing as the lead character's best friend, which means my role is just as important so I have just as much exposure!_ "

" _We're very proud of you, Isabel. It won't be long till you finally get the lead role again._ " he congratulated fondly. The brunette always had an affinity for the arts. Her talent granted her lead roles in school plays since she was in elementary and that had inspired her to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Theatre. However, coming to a university that gathered those with the same talents had proved to be quite a challenge for her but Levi has great confidence in his sister that she'll climb her way up to the ranks and become a star performer in theater plays just like she always dreamed to be.

Isabel smiled back, clutching the poster to her chest as if she herself hasn't gotten over the big news. " _Thank you big bro. This is why you're my favorite brother!_ "

" _Hey!_ " Farlan resented, pouting.

" _Ah but I love you too Farlan!_ " she laughed and that seemed to appease the blonde. However, her cheery face fell into a sad smile as she turned to their mother who had been smiling proudly during their entire exchange. " _I'm sorry mama, I really, really wish you could come watch our play too._ "

Levi hid his displeasure as he sipped on his mug. It was disappointing, yes, the three of them relied heavily on their sponsors who catered their funds for education. It was the only reason they were able to enter and pursue the courses that they want because of their sponsors' generosity. However that didn't include funds to freely visit their home country. Though they were given allowances, their daily expenses and their added responsibilities in school is always never enough. They managed to pitch in during their first years (it was astounding how homesick they immediately felt) but they were never given the same opportunity again.

Aside from the reason to not disappoint their sponsors, it was an unspoken promise between them to work hard to also provide their mother financial support. They just couldn't do that now.

" _Oh dears, it's alright,_ " Celestine smiled at her children reassuringly, clapping her hands together in glee. " _I am very happy that you're one step closer to your goal. I'm very proud of you, Isabel. Keep it up sweetie so I could boast to my friends that I have a daughter that's a star._ "

Isabel flushed, " _Mama…_ "

" _Don't worry, mama. We'll just send you a video to their play._ " Levi suggested, effectively brightening his siblings' moods.

" _Oh that would be wonderful, dear!_ "

" _Yeah! Yeah!_ "

" _That's a great idea, big bro!_ "

" _You better get us good seats then, and don't forget our tickets. When's this play anyway?_ " he takes a sip, relishing the chocolate mixture as he mentally patted himself on the back.

" _It's our last requirement so it'll be on a weekend either before or after final exams._ "

" _We'll look forward to it._ " Levi raised his mug to her.

" _I can't wait! I bet you're gonna do great, Isabel._ " Farlan added, resting his chin over his palm.

" _Thanks everyone._ "

There was silence as they relished the moment before Celestine clapped her hands together to gain their attention.

" _What about you, Levi? How is everything going on your end?_ "

The raven-haired shrugged his shoulders and leant back on his chair. " _Prelims just finished. I've been busy with the frat and my classes though, but aside from that there's nothing to report._ "

" _Oh yes, I'm sure you've been_ very _'busy', big bro._ " came Isabel's not-so-subtle teasing voice as she brought her fingers up in an air quote accompanied by a sly grin on her face.

Levi didn't like it. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he focused them on the brunette and slowly brought down his mug. " _Yes, Isabel. I've been very busy._ "

He heard his mother giggle, and from the looks of it in Farlan's screen, he's shifting his sights between him and Isabel.

The brunette nodded sagely as she rested her elbow on the table and cupped her cheek. " _Oh yes, because I'm sure you're too_ occupied _to go on a date like, I don't know? The seaside park on a Saturday afternoon._ "

Farlan's mouth started to part at Isabel's implication while Celestine remained silent with a knowing smile plastered on her face. The corner of Levi's eye twitched. " _I don't know what you're talking about._ "

It didn't faze her a single bit.

She pouted, " _Big bro, it's not good to lie to your family. Well, you_ can _be little possessive. I was at the park with my friends on that day too, you know. And I saw you with your date. Tall girl? black hair, black eyes? Wasn't there a cat too? Asian? I didn't know that you're into the exotic. She's really hot by the way. You really know how to pick them! As expected of big bro Levi!_ "

Blue eyes turned impossibly narrower and Levi practically growled behind his snarl as he leaned at his sister's sly smile. Nope, he didn't like it at all.

" _S-Seriously?_ " Farlan asked, befuddled. His own eyes wide open while his expression was a mixture of amazement and disbelief.

" _Uh-huh! They even shared a couple's parfait! They looked so cute!"_

" _Don't listen to her._ " Levi snapped. " _Stop spouting nonsense, Isabel. You have no proof-_ "

With her sly smile still on her face, Isabel pressed the enter button on her keyboard and a notification popped up on the side of his screen, telling him that Isabel just sent him an email. As if by reflex, Levi double-clicked his mouse on the message and his heart stopped as the enlarged file took up the majority of his screen.

A picture of him and Mikasa laughing as they exited the haunted house.

A picture of them at one of the shooting games.

Him smirking as he put on the cat hood over a snarling Mikasa.

Them sitting across from each other as they shared a parfait while Salem was perched on his shoulder and his leash still held by his owner.

And… my god… the worst of all… there was a picture of them entering a purikura photo booth together.

" _HOLY SHIT! She **is** hot! Big bro, how do you do it?!_ " Farlan exclaimed. It seemed that he wasn't the only one Isabel sent the file to.

" _Farlan…"_ the way he growled warningly most likely didn't help his case though as he felt a head-splitting headache start to form. His hand made its way over his face, to his eyes, as he rubbed hard on that area like he was going to rip his eyes out.

" _Ah sorry, sorry! I didn't mean it like that! Man you're so possessive! The least you could do is introduce her you know!_ "

Before he could reply, Isabel interjected once again in her sing-song voice. " _LEVI'S GOT A GIRLFRIEND!_ "

Even his mother clapped at him over the news. " _I'm so happy! She looks gorgeous, dear. I can see that you really enjoy her company! She must be a really interesting young woman."_

" _She is not my girlfriend!_ " his hands turned to massage his temples, eyes closed as he took deep breathes through his nose.

" _Denial~!_ " all three of them sang.

" _Hey, hey, so what's her name?!"_

" _Not important." he countered._

 _"How long have you been going out?!_ "

" _Not important._ " he repeated.

" _Don't you like her, Levi?_ " Celestine asked and Levi's knee-jerk reaction were the first words that came out of his mouth.

" _Of course I like her._ " his eyes widened a little more than a fraction. Upon realization, his face twisted into an almost animalistic snarl as he glared at his wall. " _Just not… like that_."

" _Dear, are you ashamed of her?_ " his mother's concerned expression did it.

" _No. Of course not._ " His tone was clipped, snappy, and spoken with finality, but if they could hear his heart, they will hear it beat so hard and loud almost as if it wants to break free from his chest. " _It's just that- you've got it all wrong._ "

" _So when do we finally get to meet your girlfriend?_ " Farlan intercepted.

" _For the last time, Mikasa is not my girlfriend._ "

Celestine clapped, " _Oh my! So her name is Mikasa? What a cute name._ "

" _Hey Isabel! Why don't you get Levi another ticket for his girl to your play?!_ "

" _That's a great idea Farlan! You're a genius!_ "

From that point on, he was completely ignored and because these were the people he cared for the most, Levi can't find it in himself to retaliate no matter how embarrassed he's feeling- of course he'll never admit that.

" _We can't wait to meet her!_ "

He should've just kept his mouth shut.

* * *

"Why is he here again?" Annie raised a brow at the glowering brunette sitting on one of the store's cushions.

"Ignore him. He's an immature, big baby." Mikasa's tone was clipped as she sorted through the aisle of tank tops, snapping one hanger to one side that had the words 'Milk Machine' printed on top.

"I am NOT a baby!" Eren bellowed, crossing his arms over his chest, scowling at his sister's direction before snapping his head to one side when she lifted an almost see-through tank top that left nothing for the imagination.

Sasha shook her head as she browsed through the assortment of skirts, popping out her lollipop before putting it back again. "Geez Eren, when are you gonna accept the fact that Mikasa went on a date with Levi?"

"It was not a date." Mikasa countered, her underlying warning worn out a long time ago due to the many times she repeated the sentence.

"Says my ass!" Bouts of giggles erupted from the other customers in the store. Eren quickly bit his lip at the drawback and even pulled up his jacket's hoodie over his head as if it could help him hide from the other women who reacted to his vulgar words.

But then again, his sister and her friends just ignored him.

Annie tapped her finger over her chin as she decided between one dress and another. Prelim exams were finally over and as promised, they're gonna go out dancing at that studio Sasha recommended. As much as the ravenette Asian objected to it, using the 'IOU' card on her was more than enough to drag her out of her room and go shopping with them. Because _good lord_ , after seeing the contents of Mikasa's one closet- or lack thereof- she **needs** it. Ymir and Historia, who they came to know from Sasha's economics class and sits with them at the cafeteria and at the cafe even joined their fray.

"Here, put this on." The blonde finally decided, she threw the dress at Mikasa and pushed her into one of the changing booths before she could say no.

She wasn't much of fashion geek, in fact, Annie saw herself as being simple. But to think that there's someone out there who actually thrives on baggy t-shirts, boy shorts, three pairs of jeans, and a couple of blouses alone- and account the fact that said person is a close friend of hers makes it all the more deplorable.

When Mikasa stepped out of the booth, her hand fiddled with the hem of her dress, trying to tug the material lower to her knees as she refused to look at anyone in the eye while sporting a furious blush. Annie made a swirling motion with her finger and Mikasa all but groaned as she pathetically circled around.

"Not bad but…" Annie pursed her lips. "Judges?"

Historia peeked out from the aisle and voiced her opinion first with her gentle, angelic smile. "Blood red does look amazing on her."

"The bows killed it." Ymir popped from the shoe rack. "It doesn't really scream ' _Mikasa'_."

"Well, I think the dress is cute enough but… I think she just lost an inch because of that neckline." Sasha added.

Annie snapped her fingers, "So in conclusion…"

"Less ass, more boobs." The girls said in unison- except Historia, whose modest nature just can't bring herself to say such words and Eren, who's practically burning up in his hoodie. Mikasa's expression predictably morphed into one of mortification, a part of her being amused at them while another looked on horrifyingly at the fact that she had to play dress-up more.

"Alright Mikasa, get back in there." Annie shooed her hands at her, directing her back to the booth. "We got your ass but we need to work on your boobs."

The ravenette puffed her pink-tinted cheeks, "Annie… I fail to see why my… assets are necessary for dancing?"

"That's the idea. You have the assets but you have no idea how to flaunt them. Even Sasha has a cute bubble butt."

"Love you Annie!"

"Love you too." she directed at Sasha before going back to her. "Listen, you know me, I _don't_ flaunt but when the occasion calls for it, at least I know how to. Besides, this our first girls' night out, I'm not gonna let you ruin it just because you don't know how to dress up."

To Mikasa's horror though, she was pushed back inside the booth as Annie went back to the aisle to pick a better dress to suit her. Meanwhile, Eren's face was practically burning from his neck up to the tips of his ears.

He groaned, "How can you girls even understand all that? All I heard were your comments on Mikasa's dress and then you concluded… oh god…"

"We're girls. We have our own language." Ymir shrugged as-a-matter-of-factly as she plopped herself down on the couch beside Eren. "Of course, not in general. There are girls like your hermit sister who can't talk the fashion language yet, but don't worry we can fix that."

"Please don't… geez why do I have to listen to you guys talk about my sister's ass and boobs?"

"Hey, you brought this on yourself. Look at the bright side, at least you can brag to the others that you got into a women's only store and watch girls dress up."

"That's true…" Eren conceded a bit, green eyes taking a glance behind where the other customers were. His cheeks burned even hotter as he watched one of them step out of a booth wearing a pair of daisy dukes.

Ymir twisted his head back and scowled at him, "Don't let it get to your head, pervert."

"I am not a hermit!" Mikasa rebuked, sticking her head out of the curtain. "I go out all the time."

"Yeah, to go on dates with your frat boy toy before you fuck him and work at the café." Ymir countered, earning a horrified expression from Eren that his face instantly went from red to white.

"I only went out with him once and it's _not_ even a date." Mikasa's cheeks painted red at her next words. "A-And we never did anything like _that_."

"Really? I never thought the almighty Levi would be such a wuss." Let it be known that Ymir's crude manner of talking has always been the cause of misunderstandings and inciting fights. It has always been a mystery on how Historia was able to put up with her childhood friend. Opposites attract? And to think that she's taking a major in literature too.

Ymir leaned in, at least toned down her voice to a volume only their group can hear as she stared seriously at Mikasa. "Hey, is it true?"

"Is what true?" Mikasa frowned, her instincts screaming at her that what will come next will undoubtedly be disastrous.

"That men who lack in height are incredibly compensated for a _different_ type of _height_?"

Just because the ravenette avoids to use the words in the lewd vocabulary doesn't mean she wouldn't understand what it means when someone refers about another person's assets- male assets… specifically _his_. Mikasa swore that Ymir will be the one to kill her someday. If not for her crude language, the tanned woman would easily flock a number of people who would want to be in her circle of friends. Though she admits that her own circle had considerably enlarged ever since she entered this university, it felt really… pleasant. The only friends she knew all her life were Eren and Armin, and no one was daring enough to associate someone troubled like her back in YU. She had instantly bonded with Ymir when they shared the same passion of protectiveness to their childhood friends.

Still, that doesn't mean she doesn't have any complaints.

"Why would I know that?!" Mikasa exclaimed a little louder than usual.

"Eh? So you haven't sucked his-"

"No!"

"Uhmm… Ymir, I think that's enough…" Historia chided gently, pointing at the brunette that passed out beside her. "I think I just saw his soul slowly leaving his body."

"Ah, my bad." Ymir consented, scratching the back of her head before letting out a hearty laugh.

"I got it!" Annie practically screamed Eureka as she picked out what she believed was the best dress to suit Mikasa. She dropped the piece of clothing on her hands before Sasha skipped beside her and gave her a pair of matching heels.

* * *

Mikasa's hand went to her neck reflexively but was only reminded that she had stopped wearing the red scarf Eren had given her to help herself move on. However, just this once she wished that it was still around her neck so that she could pull up the fabric to her nose and hide her embarrassment. She hadn't heard someone catcall and whistle at her since she consented with her adoptive mother's wishes and agreed to (finally) wear a two-piece swim suit when they went out for a vacation at the beach a few years ago.

She may or may not have punched someone during that time though.

With her hair and clothes already prepared at Annie's shared house with Reiner and Bertholdt- at least they had the decency to leave them be while they worked on their cars at the garage- they were all ready to go but Mikasa insisted on going back to the frat house to make sure Eren and Salem were okay. Though Annie implied that she probably wants to show off to someone as she coughed none-too-discreetly SOAR's VP.

But of course, Mikasa couldn't care less about what the midget thought, right?

Apparently, going back to the frat house where most of the other neighboring frat houses enjoyed their after-exam leisure by hanging out at their porches; it was very easy to garner their attention when a car filled with sexily dressed women parked themselves just across the street from them.

As pathetic as it sounds, this was the first time Mikasa had dressed something out of her comfort zone. Unfortunately, her circle of girl friends- though they had good intentions- practically slapped the 'IOU' card at her so she had no choice but to go through with it. It's just for one night after all, and she certainly needs to make new memories…. Maybe she _had_ been living as a hermit all this time?

The catcalls stopped once the door to the frat house opened and ṦO∆R's vice president just _had_ to be the one to greet her. For once, Mikasa actually felt self-conscious. Even though she wore heels that added a few inches to her height, it didn't feel like it provided any help at all as Levi stared at her with an (seemingly) unbridled gaze. Her hand consciously went up to brush the stray locks of her hair behind her ear to reveal a simple pair of ruby crop earrings while her other hand fiddled with the hem of her halter dress. She had to admit, Annie picked it perfectly if even she can appreciate how the dress complimented her. It was simple, with only a few sequins decorating (and accentuating) a line beneath her bosom, and the material was soft and freely moving enough that she knew that she could dance properly in them. Though she's not all that comfortable since the dress only stopped short midway to her thighs, her shoulders and almost her entire back was exposed to every naked eye, how the string that tied around her neck was the only thing that kept the dress from falling, and not to mention the diamond-shaped cut that provided a teasing view of her cleavage.

Mikasa cleared her throat, trying to level her voice. "Why is Salem with you?"

"Because if he's with your brother, he would've already shredded him to pieces." He replied, voice a bit hoarser than usual. Levi cleared his throat before stepping to the side as Eren ran down the stairs and stand before his sister.

"Mikasa!" Eren wrapped his arms around her shoulders in a brief hug before pulling away and smiling. "You look amazing."

Finding comfort, Mikasa smiled. "Thanks Eren. We uh… we'll be leaving now."

Eren didn't bother to hide it and Mikasa felt a pang of guilt when his face fell. "Oh uhh… yeah, sure."

She placed her hand over his arm and squeezed it reassuringly. "I'll be fine. You know I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, of course I know that just… you guys be careful, alright?"

"You know we will."

A car honking interrupted them as they whipped their heads back to the car where the others were waiting. Ymir called out, "Come on baby doll! Give your boys a kiss and let's go!"

The others cheered and Mikasa could only shake her head. She leaned down to press a chaste kiss on Eren's cheek. She spoke in Japanese, " _I'll see you later, little brother._ "

Eren answered in German, " _Have fun, sister._ "

When she leaned down to Levi, she almost missed the way he stiffened as she kissed Salem's head. She smiled down at the feline in his arms as it mewled in answer. "You too, Salem. Don't cause any trouble, alright?"

Once she turned to Levi however, with his half-lidded gaze turned to her, his stare seemed to be… more focused(?) this time and she could feel the tips of her ears warming up.

"Later, Levi." She said his name without realizing and turned on her heel, not bothering to wait for his reply.

Once the car had sped away out of sight, Eren- for whatever being that had possessed him at that time- turned to Levi with a smug grin on his face.

"Too bad she didn't kiss you too, huh VP?"

Levi's cold glare emphasized by his chilly blue eyes focused on the grinning brunette and down to the cherry kiss mark left by Mikasa's lipstick.

"Watch your mouth, brat."

.

For Mikasa, dancing was more than a pastime. It was another medium she used aside from her yoga, krav maga, and sound tripping, to exert her stress and trauma. Her psychiatrist had been very happy that she had took up an art that would help her with her PTSD. However what they didn't calculate was that even after years of channeling all this tension and horror into productive, physical activities; she shad still yet to completely overcome her demons.

She still continued to avoid talking about her parents, her childhood before the tragedy, and she would still shake whenever she sees an axe and a gun. Though she can share the fact that her real parents were dead and that she had once lived in the Land of the Rising Sun, she never took another step farther than that. It felt like she was in a stasis mode that kept her from completely moving on. Even when she accepted the fact that her parents were dead, deep down she was still afraid to face her demons.

Still, that didn't mean that she stopped trying. Which was why she agreed to this girl's night out with her newfound friends. She honestly never thought that she would even have more friends other than Eren and Armin. It was a new experience, and she allowed herself this moment's reprieve and just free her mind from the stresses of school, of work, of her unfinished business back home, and of Levi-

Mikasa's eyes opened wide and the sudden reaction caused her dance partner to falter in their step. Thankfully, he was able to catch on immediately as he led her through the rhythm of the music. She caught herself and picked up her cadence as she sent her partner a silent apology. However that didn't mean that her sudden thoughts completely left her alone as her mind went back to what she saw before she left with the others.

She already felt overly self-conscious with the new way she dressed, but she could still feel the way a shiver ran up her spine when she caught his blue eyes staring at her form. From the tips of her red heels, up to her cherry-painted lipstick, and to the cut that showed her cleavage; what's even odder was that even though she had caught his lecherous gaze, she didn't even retaliate. Mikasa would've shouted at him, insulted him, maybe even slapped him, but she didn't. Instead she felt… appraised? In an odd, strangely riveting way. She didn't feel it when the other students catcalled her and Mikasa was well aware that she had a great physique. Despite her hardened muscle and growing abs, she had still maintained the curves that made her a woman. As Annie said, she had the assets, she just doesn't know how to flaunt them.

But she wasn't purposely flaunting them to anyone. Especially not to Levi- of all people… right?

The last seconds of the song kicked in and Mikasa whipped her head back and to the front again to meet her partner's gaze as his hand held the small of her back while his other hand supported her leg that she had crossed over his hips.

The lights turned back on, lighting up the studio brightly and the crowd cheered at their performance. After all, it looked more like a practiced choreography than two strangers just moving instinctively to the beat. With a courteous bow to the audience and then to each other, Mikasa's partner thanked her for the wonderful dance to which she replied back with a thanks of her own before he excused himself and went back to his original partner. It had been so long since she had proper dance partner. No offense, but Armin counts his steps and Eren has two left feet. Mikasa wondered if Levi could dance too-

"Eep! Mikasa! Are you alright?!" Sasha shrieked, standing beside her friend that had just slammed her head on the wall.

"I'm fine."

Nope, from the sound of her voice, she's anything _but_ fine.

Annie tapped her chin in thought, "Maybe you're just tired. I know where we can go from here."

.

Of course, the blonde heiress' idea of 'relaxing' her was at a club that was located just around the corner of the studio. Which, as expected, did _nothing_ to relax Mikasa as they entered the dark room illuminated by a spastic light show filled with mingling bodies and the stench of alcohol filled the air- at least this club was one of the rare few that do not allow smoking inside the establishment.

Refusing to dance to the upbeat song played by the DJ, Mikasa resigned herself to the bar where she ordered a French 75- _Ha! French!_ She held onto her cold drink, letting her fingers feel the vapor of its condensation as she was once again lost in her thoughts.

She had fun, truly she did. It had been so long since she had done something that didn't involve school and the like. Simply just to go out and have fun. She had enjoyed dancing at the studio, dancing with random partners to three full songs before finally tiring herself out- more like tiring her mind out. A quirk of a smile made its way to her lips as she thought how dreadful she would've looked once they start sharing the girls they took with each other (much to her and Ymir's displeasure). Based on the pictures she had taken with Levi at the purikura booth, she could vouch that she will look horrible-

"Stop it." She berated herself through gritting teeth, earning her a curious gaze from the bartender.

Ever since she went on that _outing_ with Levi, something just _changed_. She just can't put her finger what it was.

Taking a sip of her drink, Mikasa fished out her phone from her purse and the screen lit up after she pressed the button on the side. She skimmed through the notifications, expecting a text from Eren only to find… none. She frowned and checked the time, it was already half-passed eleven and knowing her brother, he would've already bombarded her with texts and missed calls demanding her where she was. She was about to send the brunette a text but what she saw next stopped her thumb from swiping open her phone. She **did** receive a text, except… it _wasn't_ from Eren.

Suddenly feeling her mouth dry, the ravenette took another sip of her drink before swiping across the notification as it automatically led her to Levi's chat box. Since when did she have his number?

'Are you at the studio yet?'

'Don't have too much fun.'

'What time are you coming home?'

'Salem's crying, when will you be back?'

'Your shitty brother went out drinking with the others. Call me if you want a ride home.'

'Aren't you guys done yet?'

'Dammit, it's late. Where the hell are you?'

'I'll be waiting, gaki. CALL ME BACK.'

Mikasa hadn't realized how long she had been staring at her phone until someone went up to the bar and shouted an order of drinks and some cases of beers. When she turned her gaze back at the screen of her phone, her heart pounded wildly and she could literally feel her ears heating up as she read through the texts over and over again.

Levi texted her.

Levi _fucking_ Ackerman _texted_ **her** and he sounded…

Rude. Was what she thought of first until it slowly transitioned to anger, then worry- worry? Why would he be worried? He doesn't owe her anything. Salem's his only responsibility, not her. More importantly, _how the hell did she get his number?_

With determined fingers, Mikasa tapped her thumbs speedily over the screen and sent him a message.

'How did your number get into my contacts list?'

It didn't take long for her to receive his reply, indicating that she had his full attention.

'When you were sick. You don't need a passcode to call someone else's number and save it.'

Mikasa doesn't know what to feel about that, but before she could send him a reply, he sent her another text.

'Where are you?'

Her fingers hesitated before answering.

'I'm at a bar.'

'Why are you at a bar? Are you with the others?'

'Yeah. They wanted to go after dancing, almost dragged me all the way here tho.'

'Makes sense. Which bar are you at?'

Her eyes went to the neon sign blinking at the entrance.

'The King's Sin. I wanna go back tho. I'm tired and I want to sleep.'

'Need a ride?'

'No thanks. I'll just wait for the others.'

'Ditch them.'

'That's rude! I can't just leave them behind. I made a promise!'

'Which you already fulfilled. You promised to go out dancing with them and you did. They didn't say that you had to go clubbing with them too. Don't worry about them. It'll take gallons of alcohol before you can knock Ymir down, she can drive them back.

'I'll be there in five. JUST STAY THERE.'

Honestly, she didn't know what to make of the string of texts that just coursed through in just a few minutes. Mikasa could barely wrap her thoughts at the fact that Levi just asked- no, _told_ her to ditch her (not-so-intoxicated) friends and that he was going to come pick her up. It was… it's just too…

Irrational. She agreed with herself. He's probably just pranking her… right? Besides, why was he even still awake? It's well way past Mr. OCD's bedtime. But then again, this was Levi…

Mikasa shook her head and raised her cocktail to her lips before turning her head to the mass of bodies, trying to discern where her friends had ran off to. She spotted Annie arm-wrestling some burly man that looked like he's having a hard time, Sasha was over at the pool table showing off her tricks, and Ymir had already long left from where she sat beside her to look out for Historia.

Yeah she could wait out a little more-

"Hey there miss."

Okay, maybe not.

"Can I buy you another drink?"

Mikasa looked down at her glass and noticed that she had already finished her cocktail before she looked up at the blonde who grinned suggestively at her. Her eyes flicked to the men who occupied the other stools on his side and noted their laughter and the way they looked at them. She concluded that they were his friends.

"No thanks." She answered with finality, turning her body so that it was fully facing the bar. Unfortunately, the man didn't get the hint and boldly leaned closer to her. Mikasa grimaced at the smell of alcohol in his breath.

"You alone tonight baby?"

She leaned away, "I'm with my friends."

"Doesn't look like it. How 'bout you come join me and _my_ friends? We could surely use your _sexy_ company."

Dark eyes narrowed dangerously, her hand balled into a fist on her side. If he dares to make any sudden move, she's going to punch him so hard his jaw will fall off its hinges.

"I'm not interested."

"Aw come on baby, I promise I'll make it worth your while-"

Her glower immediately focused onto his oncoming hand, waiting for the moment he touched her arm so she had ample evidence for self-defense and sock him in the face. However, just as the tips of his fingers were a hair's breadth away from her smooth skin, his arm was suddenly slapped away by another. Mikasa was ready to butt heads with the newcomer and tell them to mind their own business, only to be surprised to see Levi standing before her. His expression seemed passive, but his eyes showed the angriest she has ever seen of him.

"Levi."

"What the fuck?!" the blonde bellowed, standing up to his full height and tower over Levi, earning him looks of attention from the other patrons. "How'd you get here pipsqueak? Elementary schoolkids aren't allowed in here."

That insult earned him a round of laughter but Levi remained unfazed as he crossed his arms.

"She said she's not interested."

"What are you? Playing hero?!" he let out a hearty laugh. "Move over, shrimp, unless you don't wanna get hurt."

Levi's brow rose, feigning boredom. "Was that a threat?"

The blonde fumed. "Why you son of a-!"

Mikasa gasped when the blonde hit him. No, Levi _let_ him hit him. But why? Well, for same reason as she had. Evidence for self-defense. As long as they have eyewitnesses that showed that the offender instigated the contact, the blame can never be pointed at them. The blonde's smirk fell when Levi looked back at him with a eyes so intense that it literally made him and the spectators watching feel the cold dread run up their spines.

Levi turned to the bartender and read his name engraved on his pin. "You saw him hit me first, right Mark?"

The bartender quipped, "Y-Yeah."

With a speed only someone with a trained eye like Mikasa could see, Levi surged forward. His fist connected hard on the much larger man's stomach, so hard that he had doubled over at the force and gasped out spit. He wasn't even given a moment's reprieve when Levi hit him next with his elbow to his face, immediately breaking his nose. As a finale, Levi spun and kicked him squarely at his chest with a strength that could've likely broken his sternum as he flew across the room and topple over a table, smashing bottles and shot glasses and eliciting shrieks and shouts from the patrons.

Levi didn't even need to move his head to turn his gaze at the blonde's friends who stumbled back at his chilling eyes as they went over to gather their friend. There was silence except for the heavy bass of the music playing at the speakers before Levi turned on his heel. The spectators, especially those who had laughed at him earlier, took more than a step back in caution against the short man.

Mikasa was still in a daze when Levi grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the club.

.

"I could've handled it just fine." Mikasa said, finally found her voice as Levi led her to his familiar bike.

"I'm sure you did." Came his answer with a roll of his eyes as he swung his legs over and jotted the key to the engine.

Mikasa noticed that he hadn't brought with him any helmet. Had he rushed all the way here?

"What are you waiting for? An invitation?" he said impatiently, earning him a glare from her. Mikasa looked back at the establishment. "They'll be fine, let's go."

She's so tired, too much has happened in one day.

The ravenette took her seat behind him, and realized with a bit of her consciousness that her dress was practically too short that when she had sat on the bike, the hem had pulled back a few centimeters up her thighs that it threatened to show her panties underneath. Not wanting the entire neighborhood to catch a glimpse of herself, Mikasa scooted closer to Levi and immediately wrapped her arms around his torso. She was too concerned with her modesty that Mikasa failed to notice the way Levi stiffened at her touch, nor did she realized that she was the closest that she had ever been with him.

With her thighs rubbing with his through his jeans, her arms wrapped around him so tightly that her stomach and breasts were pressing onto his back, and her hot breath literally breathing against his ear against the chill of the autumn night. Levi swallowed and granted himself a few calming breaths that did nothing to appease his pounding heart but enough to somewhat clear his mind to focus his attention on the road ahead.

They rode through the silent road with only the rumble of Levi's bike and the excited beat of their hearts.

.

"Where's everybody?" Mikasa asked as they walked up to their rooms on the second floor, Levi taking the lead.

"I told you they went out drinking." He refused to look at her. Even when she had long since let go of him, he could still feel the warmth that spread through his back and torso. He still believes his burning ears were due to the cold night air.

"Why didn't you go with them?"

"You told me to look after your damn cat, right?"

Mikasa's lips parted ever so slightly before she clamped them close again, not sure what to say. When they reached their rooms, Mikasa opened her door to find Salem sleeping peacefully over her pillow. She turned her head to Levi in silent question and he held up his hand to show her the master's key. She eyed him suspiciously but was too tired to retaliate as she turned to face him fully.

"I…" she began, but suddenly lost her voice. What now? Levi raised a brow at her, waiting patiently for whatever she had to say. Mikasa's gaze turned towards his cheek where the man hit him- with nary a mark to prove that he was even hit at all. "Does it hurt?"

His face twisted as if she had offended him before his expression softened and an amused smirk tugged at his lips. "Wasn't even worth a salt. Salem could even punch harder than that asshole."

Disregarding his vulgar words, Mikasa couldn't help but laugh. Never mind whether he meant that last bit about Salem as a joke or not, she can't help the bubbling feeling tickling at her stomach.

"I suppose he could. Thank you for what you did back there… even though I didn't need your help," she leveled him with a stare and Levi shrugged. "And… thank you for the ride home."

The moment of silence seemed to just stretch on as Levi just stared back at her. Feeling awkward from his lack of reaction, Mikasa was about to reach for her doorknob when she felt a strong pair of hands grab onto her hips. She whipped her head in alarm, ready to shout at the raven but suddenly found her strength slowly being drained away as Levi pressed his body against her.

"L-Levi?" she gasped. With her heels removed and their difference in height, Levi just had the perfect access to her exposed neck and shoulders. A shiver ran up her spine at the feel of his hot breath fanning her cheeks, her jaw, her shoulder, and then at the crook of her neck.

Her heart raced and felt her hands become useless as the thumbs on her hips traced small circles across a small area, pinning her body to the wall before his fingers gently trailed teasingly, slowly, sensually, over and around to where her clothes stopped and her bare back. She found herself panting her breaths as she could feel his nose brush her skin. Her arms wound their way to his shoulders, not sure whether to push him or not before they circled around his head.

"Fuck… Mikasa…"

She gasped when she felt him press soft, chaste kisses running from her exposed shoulder and up to her jawline before settling at the crook of her neck. Her head moved unconsciously to the side giving him better access, and finding her stomach fluttering and her blood pumping at the feel of his surprisingly soft lips pepper sweet kisses at her neck. She could even feel him inhale through her skin as he basked in her scent.

The fingers that had begun their small exploration moved farther down her hips. Her breath hitched at the feel of his hands treading carefully but not fully, touching her exposed thighs as he used his body to pin her up to the wall. Levi groaned when Mikasa started threading her fingers over his neat hair, shyly massaging his scalp as she hooked one of her legs around his hips. While one hand continued its teasing exploration, the other grabbed her thigh fully, squeezing the soft flesh tenderly before gently caressing the smooth expanse.

"Fuck… you're so unfair…" he whispered to her skin, teeth reaching just enough to nip at her earlobe. "You can't just dress up like that and still think I wouldn't react."

When Levi became bolder and showered her neck with more kisses, and gently nipping his teeth at her skin, Mikasa moaned his name.

"Levi…"

And just as soon as it came, it stopped. The deceivingly small body that shouldn't have the capability to overpower her, much less bring her so much warmth, suddenly disappeared. The hands that teased her went back to their sides and the mouth that practically worshiped her neck was turned away. In spite of her daze and panting breaths, she could see through half-lidded eyes, Levi's sour expression and snarl.

"Fucking shit…" he cursed, whether to her or to himself, she wasn't sure. "I'm sorry, Mikasa, I shouldn't… shit- just… fuck go to bed. We're both just tired. Goodnight."

Without so much as looking at her, Levi power walked to his room and almost slammed the door shut once he was inside. Mikasa, however, remained as she were as she took her time to catch her breath.

 **SOAR (ṦO∆R)**

 **Saker Omni Delta Rho**

* * *

 **So what do you guys think?**

 **Honestly, I don't mind rating this fic up to rated M. I'm cool with writing smut (hehe). But I'll leave that one up to you guys.**

 **Thank you so much for those who continue to read and support this fanfic.**

 **Please let me know what you guys think of this chapter in the reviews.**

 **You guys have a wonderful day or night wherever you live, please stay safe.**

 **Ciao~!**


	16. Chapter 16

**CONGRATULATIONS! As per unanimous decision, the rating of this fic is hereby changed to Rated M! Oh we are so gonna have a lot of fun (hehe).**

 **Warning: the following chapter has very minimal dialogues but I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE everyone to read every word and turn on (pun intended) your imaginations for better experience.**

 **I highly suggest listening to heavy bass sex songs while reading.**

* * *

Mikasa stared at her reflection intensely, palms flat on the cold surface of her sink as she raked her eyes over her mirrored image critically. The bags under her eyes were evident after pulling two all-nighters. As fun as their girls night out was, they still have one responsibility left to do before they enjoy their winter break. At least it had pulled her out of any _distraction_ and had effectively made her finish all her requirements earlier than expected. She took a steady deep breath and exhaled through her mouth before leaning back a bit and show to the mirror her semi-nude form. The matching bra and panties were very simplistic and nowhere near the raunchy sort that the others (she suspects Historia but the others had probably added some too) secretly added to her bags when they went out shopping. Needless to say she had been _horrified_ when she pulled out the lacy lingerie hidden underneath the paper bag and worse of all, she found more than one set.

Just because she doesn't boast her knowledge in fashion, doesn't mean she doesn't know what a g-string when she sees one. Alas, Mikasa couldn't find it in her heart to throw the garments away no matter how tempting that idea was. That doesn't mean she'll use them immediately though. She'll use them… someday… in the future… maybe? If her Aunt Carla saw these things in her wardrobe, the poor woman would either have a heart attack or be ecstatic and sing praises that her adoptive daughter had finally decided to show off her sexual gifts. Neither one would do her any good though.

' _It's always the quiet ones._ ' She sighed, remembering their disappointed faces when she stopped by Annie's to get ready for their night out. It was as if she had committed a horrible sin when they saw her choice of underwear and Sasha started lecturing her- _lecturing_ her!

Really, she loves and appreciates them, but there are still some lines between them and one of them is her independence over her own lingerie! At least they gave up when she agreed that her bra had to go. It would be devastating to see it with the type of dress she was going to wear. At least the dress hugged her breasts well enough so she wouldn't have to worry about them bouncing around or show off her nipples. The girls gave up on convincing her to change her panties into ' _more appropriate ones_ ' though… for now.

A groan left her lips as a hand ran up her hair, stopping midway to tangle her fingers around the dark locks. It wasn't that she was unaware of her own assets. Other girls would kill for a body like hers, minus the muscle tone and developing abs. Once in a while she can appreciate her slim figure and smooth skin maintained by her healthy lifestyle, her well-placed curves, C-cup breasts (yeah she's definitely a C, Annie's just exaggerating when they were in the girl's locker room at the gym and calling her a D. Now that she thought about it, there was someone ogling her tits too. Hanji, was it? A shiver ran down her spine at the memory. It wasn't anything perverted but she did feel as if the senior wanted to dissect and study her.), and her full rear globes. Admittedly, she knew that she was attractive. Her mixed blood nailed it and really spiked up her exoticness.

She can choose to wear such clothes and flaunt anytime she wants (maybe less sexually), she just chose not to.

Yes, she knew herself to be attractive. So when she decided to flaunt for once… _did Levi find her attractive too?_

Mikasa heard the sharp intake of her breath immediately when she felt her heart thumped wildly. The hand that clung to her hair fell to the side of her face hesitantly, _slowly_ , and her ears felt as if they were burning when the feather-light touch of her fingertips reached the side of her neck. She didn't know when she had backed away until she felt the scalding chill of the bathroom's cold tiles on her back, her mind fogged instantly and a gasp left her lips as she was reminded of Levi's smoldering gaze.

The intense stare of his beady blue eyes made her knees weak and buckle that the tiny sense of sanity left in her willed herself to press her back further to the wall lest she'll fall. Her body slowly began to feel hot but it couldn't compare to the hot liquid pool developing between her thighs. She remembered the way his diluted pupils shamelessly took in her form as if wanting to memorize every inch of her, or maybe to imagine what she looked like underneath?

The jolt of electricity that ran up her spine felt more intense as she ghosted her fingers over the crook of her neck. Eyes fell closed as if her mind and body wanted to remember how his surprisingly soft lips mapped her skin, from her exposed shoulder, to her beating jugular, to the angle of her jaw, and then to her earlobes. _Oh_ how she _whimpered_ when she felt his hot breath melt her ears and drowned down any other noise as he made her auditory system focus _only_ on his panting breaths, his groans, and the way he rolled his tongue over her name as if it was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted in his life.

" _Fuck… Mikasa…"_

"Levi…" she didn't know how or why she moaned his name, that she felt it from deep within her throat. Usually she would've snapped back to her senses immediately, but for once, she couldn't find it in herself to care as she indulged her body to relive the feeling of his body on hers.

He may have not been granted average stature, but he compensated on how well he took care of his body. This time, a whimper left Mikasa's lips as her mind flashed her images during the times she observed him while they were at the gym. They had always kept a respectable distance away from each other, opting to mind their own business lest they try to kill each other again in the ring like last time. She used to be so irritated at him that she never really appreciated his skills, much more his looks.

Oh how many times did she stole glances his way when he decided to go topless when he goes over his routine? She wasn't thrilled, she didn't swoon, but she was mesmerized with the way his sweat trickled through his flexing muscles. His biceps, his deltoids, his bulging back muscles, his undoubtedly hard six-pack, and his pecs… _oh god_ did he also feel goosebumps when those hard toned pecs of his pressed perfectly over her soft breasts as he _devoured_ her neck?

Her other, unoccupied hand shyly felt its way down her exposed skin, stopping at her hip where her thumb circled idly above the hem of her panties. A shiver racked her body when she remembered his strong hand that caressed her toned thighs and squeezed it hard enough to not leave a mark but enough to let her taste a strength of his power. A part of her was appalled at the idea of someone being stronger than her, she had always been competitive and she had a childhood reputation that circled around her ridiculous strength. However a strange part of her also didn't mind the thought of being _dominated_ …

The liquid pool on her lower stomach burned ever hotter and she could already feel the sensitive nub at her apex awaken for the first time in a long while. She could practically feel her heart beat erratically with the lingering fear that it might actually jump out of her chest at any given moment as her hand delved lower, her fingers stretching ever so closer, and the growing anticipation felt like she was getting high on a drug as small sparks teased her body when her clit sought friction at the cloth of her slowly soaking panties.

The breath that left her lungs could be mistaken as a gasp, a groan, a moan, or a mixture of the three. When her middle finger made contact with her hidden arousal, her body jerked hard as her hands went back to her sides just like when Levi pulled back when she moaned his name. But to be honest, whatever he said to her after that fell on deaf ears, because despite her hazy mind- her heart tickled at the soft gaze he sent her way before retreating to his room and leave her in the hallway in a panting mess.

Now that she thought about it, why _did_ she let him touch her like that? When she went out dancing and had three different partners on the dancefloor, none of them had elicited nary a pinch of reaction from her even when the contact was skin-to-skin. But when Levi touched her, it felt like she was being hit by lightning and he left trails of fire along her skin. No one had touched her so _intimately_ before.

Mikasa shook her head vigorously, face twisting into a half-hearted snarl as she sneered at nothing. With a burst of strength she stood up straight and threw her undergarments to the hamper. She turned the knob and the steady stream of water that escaped the showerhead filled the bathroom that momentarily brought her back to the present, the cold water made her shiver but it was the perfect wake-up call for her to return to reality.

For a while it helped, and for a while she cleared her mind of anything and everything. However that reprieve she gave herself didn't last as she filled her tub with warm water, sunk low till the water reached passed her lips, and she felt her heart flutter as she remembered the way Levi looked at her when they watched the moon during their…

 _Date_.

He thought she wasn't looking, but she actually caught the corner of his lips tug into a soft smile, and she can't help but feel her heart pound harder but not out of lust, as she thought how handsome he looked with that smile.

.

Mikasa had a very, _very_ valid reason for this.

 _She was looking for Salem._

Yes, that's right. She's looking for her beloved cat that had gone missing from her room. She hadn't realized that it had taken her so long in the bathroom, just lost in her thoughts that it made her completely forgot about the outside world. The black feline had probably gotten bored while waiting for her and decided to leave through her open window.

Salem isn't your typical housecat, though he prefers to stay indoors most of the time, he does go out to establish his territory. Since coming to the university grounds, the only times he went out was when she was carrying him or waiting for her outside her classroom window like a guard dog. As for establishing relationships, Salem's as nitpicky as Ratatouille's Anton Ego. Now that she thought about it, Salem seemed to have become attached to Levi after a short amount of time, and that's saying something considering that the cat could only _tolerate_ the Jaegers even though he grew up under their roof. Yes, Salem's obvious attachment to Levi was the _sole reason_ she went to his room first.

With a deep breath, Mikasa knocked on the door, willing herself to calm her pounding heart and ignore her fluttering stomach. There's no need to feel nervous. There's absolutely no reason to be anyway. She's just going to ask him a simple yes or no question and then leave. It's as simple as that. No need to initiate conversation, no need to stare at his face, no need to look in his eyes, no need to remind her how delectable his lips were on her skin-

When no answer came, she knocked on the door again.

At the fifth knock, she was convinced that he wasn't in his room. She hadn't seen him since this morning either. A sigh left her lips and she made a move to turn and look someplace else. However she stopped when an absurd idea popped in her head.

What if…?

 _No_ , that's crossing lines and Mikasa is very particular with lines. The boys had respected her privacy and she's done enough trouble for them to let her stay for the semester- or at least until she got her go signal from her lawyer and go apartment-hunting.

But it's just a quick peak.

No, she wouldn't dare.

It's just to check if Salem's really in there, then she'll leave like nothing happened.

She's not even sure if the door's lock or not.

Eren's the only one excepted from the rule but Levi still got in your room.

Releasing her bottom lip from her teeth, Mikasa reached for the knob and turned. It was unlocked. Slowly and carefully, she opened the door and took a peek inside the room of ṦO∆R's VP.

Mikasa shook her head and went inside the room lit by the afternoon sun through his windows. The room wasn't that special except being slightly more spacious than hers. There's a single closet and bookshelf filled to the brim on books of varying subjects, next to it was a little loveseat facing the bed with a coffee table, and wedged between them was a mini fridge. Her eyes narrowed at that. She made sure to close the door behind before crouching down and ran a finger over the waxed floor. As expected, it was clean, maybe even cleaner than her own waxed floor.

Sighing, Mikasa took off her flip flops and rested them on the small shoe rack next to the door. She padded her comfortable bare feet towards the coffee table and her eyes narrowed again at the textbooks sprawled over the glass. They were all manuals on the basics of Japanese, how to learn and speak the language properly, and there were even two more books that taught how to write Hiragana and Katakana.

"What's he plotting?" she asked herself. Truly, what would the chibi get for learning another language? Honestly, she would love to add another category in her multilinguistic tongue, but the fact that the chibi's been learning _Japanese_ made her feel a little suspicious.

She took the textbook that taught how to write Hiragana and quickly skimmed through the pages. Brows furrowed and lips slightly parted at the pieces of paper stuck in between that showed his progress on getting the right strokes of each character. It was sloppy at first and Mikasa had to stifle her laughter at some of his mistakes but over time he improved, especially at the latest page. Though there were still a few mix-ups, it was only minimal and she could tell that he at least got the basics mastered already.

Mikasa's cheeks grew hot at her discovery. Whatever his reason to learn, a part of her felt strangely elated at the thought that she might be the reason for it. People always viewed her oriental bloodline in a sort of stereotype mainly because of her home country's (admittedly sometimes) weird and unique culture. It felt… _appreciating_ \- for a lack of a better term. Eren and Armin knew a bit of Japanese but neither of them took the time to learn it in-depth.

 _But that's just a delusional thought, right?_

If only she scanned his bookshelf a bit more, then she would've noticed the small manual on the basics of speaking in German.

Closing the book, she put it back on the table, trying to return it in its original position before she resumed her tour of his room. There was a door on one side that most likely led to his bathroom, the walls were bare except for a pinned-up flag bearing the ṦO∆R's symbol- the Wings of Freedom, a plaque of a Saker falcon with engraved letters of his name to commemorate his position as Vice President, and another plaque that showed off the fraternity's insignia. By his slightly open window was his desk where his laptop laid, his stationary holder (god even his pencils and ballpens were organized), and a stack of folders with some bearing the Saker mark. At the upper layer of his desk, there was a small camera attached right above the laptop. However what caught her eyes were the pictures that decorated the shelf.

There were two photos there attached in one foldable picture frame and Mikasa couldn't help the small smile to grace her lips. It showed Levi in his younger years- at least around ten or eleven; on the left- he was with two other people around the same age, a blonde and a brunette, both of them were grinning widely as they hugged him. By his surprised and embarrassed expression, he probably didn't expect their tackle as the camera shot them just in time before they fell. The right one showed a more recent photo of the three of them with the statue of liberty at the background. The brunette clung on his arm with a wide happy smile, while the blonde- now taller- rested his elbow on Levi's shoulder while his other hand formed a peace sign. His smile was also wide, showing a perfect set of teeth. Mikasa's heart doubled at the genuine – although very small – smile on Levi's face.

He looked really relaxed with those two and that's when she remembered that Levi had told her that he had foster siblings, and that they were also studying here in the country but at different schools.

Moving on to the last photo, Mikasa could only blink as she stared at a picture of a beautiful petite woman with long, slightly curled, platinum blonde hair wearing a simple dress with a smile on her face. Her hands were placed on the shoulders of a child wearing a formal black suit with a white cravat instead of a tie, his hair was cleanly cut and swept back that he could easily be mistaken as a son of a noble lord, especially with his set of striking blue eyes over his blank expression. He could be around the age of nine at that time. Due to the lack of resemblance, if Mikasa would have to guess, the woman must be Levi's foster mother.

Levi once mentioned that he lived with his real mother till she died when he was eight. It makes her wonder where her picture could be- _no, no, no_ , Mikasa shouldn't be cruel to think like that. It didn't seem like Levi became detached with his biological mother, in fact, when he shared that information with her, he seemed as if he missed her. He probably had his reasons, she knows that because she has her own reason why she couldn't even look at her parent's faces without breaking down, much less display a photo of them.

Mikasa wondered if Levi had also undergone a state of depression. Was that why he could relate so easily with her? She wasn't quite sure since she was sick at that time.

Trailing her eyes off of the desk, her eyes then fell on his bedside table that had a docking station that also served as an alarm clock. Her cheeks felt hot again when she saw the familiar blue cat hood on display above the dock. _Did he deliberately just left it out in the open?_ She reached for the hood and her fingers felt the soft material, noting how clean it was and obviously recently washed. It smelled a hint of pine. A smile tugged at her lips as she remembered the scowl on Levi's face when she put the hood on his head. He looked so embarrassed.

For a while she just stared at the hood, finding herself subconsciously watching replays of their time at the seaside park… _she really enjoyed spending that day with him_ … until her eyes finally went to the bed. The ravenette shook her head, hands on her hips and tutted mentally as her eyes zeroed in on her beloved black cat sleeping comfortably on one of the gray pillows as if he owned it.

Carefully, she sat on the dark blue blanket that was so well made it's almost as if Levi ironed it. He probably did- it's plausible, after all. Her hand reached out to gently wake the sleeping cat but she found herself against it. It's been so long since she just stopped and admired her black cat. To her, Salem Saberhagen Ackerman (no offense to the Jaegers) was- _**is**_ the most adorable creature on earth. With a weightless hand, she gently caressed his head and she had to stifle back her giggle when he wrinkled his nose in his sleep.

She pursed her lips and decided- hoped that Levi wouldn't suddenly enter and interrupt her moment as she dared to lie herself down on the bed with the cat hood pressed to her chest. It was as if she was thrown in a dense winter forest rather than falling on a bed as her olfactory organ was invaded with the exhilarating smell of pine, wood, and the cool sensation of mint. It was a scent that was foreign to her at first until she remembered that Levi also gave off a hint of fresh pine, especially during their da- _rendezvous_. She had been too wary of him to notice but she had wondered where he got his cologne. However as she laid on his bed, senses overrun by the minty freshness of his cushion, she couldn't help but wonder if it was his natural scent.

Through her daze, she had failed to notice how she adjusted herself more comfortably on Levi's bed, with the blanket long wrinkled and undone as she brought her feet up to rest fully over his mattress. Her eyelids drooped as she settled on his other pillow so she was fully facing Salem. Her hand went up and gently caressed the cat's body. The feline opened his eyes a bit before closing them again, purring at the familiar pattern of caress along his fur. He was her confidant and he brought her a sort of comfort she couldn't get from Eren or any human being. He had come a long way since she found him in the dark alley crying for food and surrounded by his dead mother and stillborn siblings. Well, the both of them had come a long way. She had never seen Salem so comfortable outside her own room, much less someone else's. She had never seen him become so attached to anyone so easily either.

Was there something in Levi that Salem saw for him to be so attached to him?

Salem's mismatched eyes opened and looked at her. As if understanding his silent plea, Mikasa smiled and adjusted her head better on the pillow. The black cat proceeded to settle himself at his favorite spot and curled up beside his mistress' shoulder. By then, Mikasa had forgotten entirely where she was, too lost in the oddly satisfying comfort and security of Levi's room. And just like her beloved black feline, she too, fell into slumber.

* * *

Levi took a deep breath through his nose as he stared at the wooden door that seemed to have suddenly become bigger than before. Ever since that stunt he pulled with Mikasa, Levi had to undergo _three_ showers a day. It wasn't a big deal since he preferred to take a bath everyday but it's a whole other story when they all NEED to be cold- **freezing** _-_ showers! And it didn't help that it's almost winter.

He knew it was stupid of him. He had been calling himself that since he realized what he had done. But can anyone really blame him? How could he _not_ react when she's dressed in something so _provocative_? It's not that his reaction wasn't warranted, Mikasa had obviously garnered some attention to herself as well. All he had to do was look at the neighboring frat boys that catcalled and wolf-whistled her to shut them up, and that scumbag at the bar… _Oh_ how he so wanted to beat that asshole and his posse to a bloody pulp. Just thinking about them made his blood boil.

If he was given the choice, he would never have let her go out dressed in something so… so… _enticing_. Not even if she chose to wear baggy pants and shirt. Dancing meant partners, and partners meant touching. Just the thought of some stranger's grubby hands touching her made him feel unsettled. But he had no right to tell her what she can or can't do. So he resorted to his duty to watch over her beloved cat. Actually, neither of them even talked about it. Mikasa never asked him a favor to watch over Salem, it just felt _natural_. However that also didn't mean that it didn't made him restless, especially with how late it had gotten and she wasn't replying to his texts. He was more than ready to tap the call button when she finally decided to reply. The moment she texted him that they were at a bar, he was on his feet and getting his coat. The moment she texted which bar they were at, he was already on his bike.

Were his actions… a little too far?

Shaking his head, Levi clenched his fists and felt the small box in his hand. He may have overheard Eren before saying that Mikasa, he quotes, ' _get foodgasms_ ' whenever she eats the treat. Of course, he took that tidbit of information and saved it for a later date but he wasn't so sure if he wanted to see the foodgasm part. Is it really possible to feel such euphoric arousal when eating something? If the dish is delicious, maybe, but maybe people just love exaggerating things nowadays.

Mikasa's flustered expression popped in his mind and he shook his head. No, this is just a peace offering. Just in case she might bite his head off.

"Mikasa?" he called out after knocking.

There was no answer.

He tried knocking again for a few more times but all he was met with was silence. Was she not in her room? Or was she deliberately ignoring him?

Sighing, Levi contemplated whether to just leave the box at her door and leave a note or not but he doesn't know when she'll be back and leaving good food out carelessly is a big no-no in his book. Ergo he decided to just wait for her to return.

The raven-haired reached for his doorknob and he froze when the door swung back a bit at the contact, making him realize that someone entered his room and left the door open. His brows furrowed deep at that. Now who was insane enough to enter his room? Not that he needed to lock it. There's nothing of value for them to steal and he doubts his brothers are capable of stealing his stuff. Loyalty and trust are one of the values drilled into any member of their fraternity. If anyone of them failed to comply, releasing and letting them walk away unscathed is nothing but a pipe dream. Either somebody just wants to piss him off or they have a death wish. Still, he doubts one of the guys did it. They usually avoid his room at all costs because of his strict cleanliness and organizing policy.

The first thing he noticed when he opened the door was the pair of foreign flip flops in his shoe rack. He took off his shoes and socks and placed them beside it as he wondered to whom they could belong to. As far as he knew, his flip flops are black, not blue.

Everything in his room seemed to be in order. There wasn't anything missing or out of place. However, Levi's heart stopped when he saw his intruder curled up on his bed. He dropped the box of pudding at the coffee table before approaching the sleeping figure on his bed. He wasn't too surprised when he saw Salem, the feline would frequently visit him whenever Mikasa's too busy to play with him. Salem would make attempts to bother him while he's studying, sometimes interrupt him just to earn his attention. When the cat learned that he'd never bow to his whims so easily, the cat would just give up and settle for his lap or around his shoulders till he's finished or decided to go back to his mistress. He'll never admit it but the cat had grown into him to the point that he'd leave his window partially open. He even bought a laser pointer for him to play with.

When he was young, Isabel really wanted to have a puppy but their foster mother was allergic to dogs so it couldn't be helped. He remembered her feeding some stray cats at the yard though. Actually, Levi detests the idea of having a pet, what with all the horror stories about their shedding and their tendency to break stuff, especially potty problems. However it seemed like Salem was a smart creature and also very well trained. He never saw him shed a single fur, he always groomed himself, and he even likes to take baths (at least that's what he heard from Mikasa). So he made an exception.

However the other body lying on his bed was a different story. Salem- he already expected it but Mikasa? There's no way he'd know how to react to that. The last time he complied with his impulse reactions, it resulted him with a steamy moment with the ravenette that made him suffer through a _really_ cold shower after that. Should he wake her up? That was the most obvious thing to do, but seeing her like this made him decide against it.

From the steady rise and fall of her chest, to the way she was slightly curled up in a fetal form, to the way her arm was draped over a pillow, and even though he felt a hint of embarrassment with the way she clung the cat hood to her chest, how could he disturb her? Especially when she had such a serene and peaceful look on her face.

Never would he have thought that someone could look so beautiful while sleeping.

"Goddamit." Levi bit back his curse, eyes blinking at the realization that he had been staring too long. His hand raked up his hair but his eyes just couldn't leave her face. He willed himself to avert his eyes from her bare legs that seemed never ending coming out of her shorts though.

Leaning down, his hand swept gently the loose strand of hair behind her ear and she nuzzled her face closer to the feline curled up over her shoulder in response. His fingers trailed feather-light touches to her jaw, feeling the little electric impulses as he ghosted over her cheeks and then gently traced her scar under her eye with his thumb. Levi folded his legs as he sat on the floor at the edge of the bed, and for a while all he did was stare at the sleeping beauty resting so peacefully in his bed. He couldn't even find it in himself to get angry at her intrusion or that she had made an ultimate mess of his bed.

Levi doesn't like fairy tales, but Mikasa _could_ be Sleeping Beauty. However he's no Prince Charming and he doesn't really want to wake her from her enchanted slumber. Nevertheless, he was still a man who had secretly yearned for a compatible companion, someone who he could just take out and experience the pleasures of having a relationship with, someone who could listen to him and not be afraid to voice out their thoughts, someone who could meet him head on, someone who isn't a one-time fling or another pity date- women who would willingly date a guy shorter than them are very rare nowadays, and someone who he could enjoy spending lazy afternoons and rainy days just cuddled up with a mug of hot cocoa in their hands.

"The future is so bleak."

Levi smirked, shaking his head. Even if he admits his feelings to himself, it's unlikely that she will reciprocate anyway. Maybe it was karma on his part, he hadn't exactly been the most welcoming and pleasant companion to be with since she came here. But who could blame him? He had no idea how to make a girl notice him. it never crossed his mind to have a relationship until she came into his life and invaded his thoughts day in and out ever since he saw her in that alley beating up men twice her size.

Still, it didn't stop him to grant himself a hopeless fool's reprieve as he gently took her hand that hang from the edge of his bed in his, and press a kiss over it as his thumb gently caressed her knuckles.

* * *

Mikasa's eyelashes fluttered as consciousness slowly returned to her. She first registered the ball of black fur near her face and she let out a smile as she kissed the sleeping furball's head. Slowly, she sat up as she rubbed the sleep off of her eyes, careful not to wake the cat until panic instantly surged within her. Based on the clock by the bed and how dark it was outside the windows, it was already nighttime which means she had overstayed her welcome. Another jolt of panic shot up her spine when she saw the bright screen of his laptop blaring brightly atop his desk.

She swallowed, that meant Levi's back. But why didn't he wake her up? She checked her body and she still seemed to be in one piece. Swinging her legs to the edge of the bed, Mikasa instantly missed the cool, hypnotizing minty pine scent and it made her want to just plop back down the bed again and maybe cover herself in his blanket this time.

The ravenette nearly jumped when the door opened and the light from the hallway filtered in the dark room. Mikasa raised her head up to see Levi holding a pitcher of cold water and a pair of glasses.

"I had a hunch that you'll be waking up soon." He said, using his elbow to flip the switch beside the door.

Mikasa shielded her eyes at the sudden brightness of the room from his ceiling lights. She blinked multiple times to adjust her vision as Levi slipped off his own flip flops and his bare feet padded over to the coffee table to place the pitcher and glasses before going back to the door and close it. The books that were on the table were cleared out and placed back on his bookshelf, and was replaced by two paper bags from Chipotle.

"I hope you don't mind take-out for dinner. You should know that there's not much to go by around here, especially when everybody's too busy finalizing their requirements for the first term before winter break starts. Have you finished with yours?" Levi initiated conversation as he sat down on the loveseat.

Now that they were facing each other, her eyes took in his form- clad in a pair of loose pants and a Saker sweater with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing off his muscled forearms. Mikasa straightened her back reflexively when she realized she had been staring and was awaiting an answer.

"Yeah. I just submitted mine this morning. You?"

He nodded, "I already submitted it yesterday."

The subtle bemused tug at the corner of his lips didn't escape her and it effectively reeled the old Mikasa back at his hint of unspoken triumph over her.

"Come on, you better eat something. I doubt you've had a decent meal or sleep since the exams and finishing up your requirements. Case in point, you slept on my bed throughout the entire day." he said, patting over the space beside him on the loveseat.

Mikasa's brows furrowed in suspicion and tried to act like so as she tried to ignore how he reminded her that she had just slept on his bed for almost an entire day. "How did you know that?"

Levi shrugged, "I was as busy as you were and the coffee maker's working 24/7 during times like this for us pulling all-nighters. I see your light open even after midnight whenever I go down. That, and Salem comes in and out of my room trying to get my attention. I'm guessing that you haven't paid him much attention too, huh?"

Her mouth could only fall open as she couldn't find it in herself to retort. He was right, after all. She was just too busy that all she could do for her cat was fill up his food and water bowl. Mikasa sighed in defeat as she held her hands up in mock guilt. "You caught me red-handed, detective. I concede."

"Since you admitted yourself so nicely, I guess I don't need to handcuff you." Levi played along, reaching for one of the paper bangs and then nodding to the other. "As punishment, you'll have to help me set these up."

He pulled out a burrito wrapped in foil and Mikasa sprang up to her feet. "Dibs on the nachos."

They set up the food on the coffee table. Levi had ordered just enough for the both of them and even though what they were doing was against their own diet rule, they couldn't care less at the moment if it could refill their stomachs. _It's alright to indulge every once in a while_. Mikasa made a grab for a piece of burrito and for a moment, forgot that Levi was there as she sat beside him on the loveseat and take a huge bite out of her food. She missed the way Levi observed her and nodded in satisfaction as she used her other hand to cup under her mouth to catch any ingredients that might fall. Levi did the same as he took a bite out of his taco.

They ate in silence as they enjoyed their indulgence in peace. Mikasa got to admit, Levi had good tastes. The mixes and ingredients he ordered were perfect combinations that greatly satisfied her taste buds. Even the salad tasted great! And she was really grateful for that. She always made sure to have a side of leafy vegetables in every meal she ate. The last time she had indulged and broke her rule was when she went home to Japan and stayed for almost an hour at her favorite sushi restaurant. She'll worry about how much calories she will need to burn off after this later.

"Thanks for the food, Levi. I promise I'll pay you sixty-forty." She quipped before shoving a lettuce in her mouth.

Levi shrugged, not looking up as he drank from his glass of water. "It's fine. This one's on me."

She swallowed, eyes widening at what he just said before pointing at the paper bag on the floor. "This is _Chipotle_. Are you saying that you're just gonna treat me to this and not let me pay a single cent?"

This time, he cocked his brow at her, "Is there any other meaning to what I just said?"

"Who are you and what have you done to chibi?"

"He's hungry, that's what happened."

"So… by any chance can you could get hungry more often? I like this side of you better but I'm not that heartless to weasel you out of having you buy me all my dinners. Your wallet won't last a week." She said snootily, a playful smirk tugged at her lips. She was just bluffing though, she'd never ask anyone to buy her food all the time. Besides, this is just one of her one-time indulges. After this, it's back to her strict diet plan and calorie counting.

Levi didn't back out though, even though he knew she was bluffing as he pulled out his wallet from his pants pocket and flipped it open with his thumb. He tilted the leather a bit and gave her a glance at the wad of cash inside before closing it again. "Try me."

However, Mikasa wasn't able to see how thick the leaves were as she was caught by surprise when she saw the picture in his wallet. It was a picture of them when they tried the purikura photo booth. She didn't say anything else after that as she turned her head and ate in silence. By the time most of the food was cleared out, only the large plate of cheesy nachos was left. Mikasa thanked Levi as he offered her a packet of baby wipes and rubbing alcohol to clean up their hands further before diving their hands in the cheesy goodness.

"Hey, I'm sorry for barging in your room like this," Mikasa started cautiously. "I didn't really mean to sleep over, honest."

Levi took his time in chewing the nacho he popped in his mouth before responding. "Don't worry about it. I knew you'd come in here sooner or later since your cat practically claimed my room as another territory of his. A little warning next time would be nice. It's not every day I come home and see a beautiful girl sleeping on my bed."

Mikasa tried so desperately to fight back the heat crawling up the base of her neck. _He did_ _ **not**_ _just call her beautiful!_ "Still… thank you for understanding. I really needed that sleep."

"Yeah, you looked like you needed it." He said, popping another nacho in his mouth. "So what are your plans for winter break?"

She blinked, humming, "Well, Eren and I are going to stay over our friend- Armin's- place for the break. It'll be our first time celebrating the holidays together with just the three of us."

"So I take it you'll still be around town?"

"Yeah, what about you?"

"Same as you. My siblings and I will be renting a three-bedroom apartment for a month. I already contacted the landlord and checked our place out. I can't really go anywhere much since the frat needs to prepare for the Homecoming by the end of March. We'll be discussing it during the break so it's a good thing Jaeger will be around."

"Ohh so something big is gonna happen for you guys, huh?" Mikasa drawled, licking her fingers free from the cheese. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to keep Eren in line. He has tendency to forget all his responsibilities whenever school's out."

"I greatly appreciate that."

They finished off the last of the nachos and Mikasa excused herself to his bathroom to wash her hands. They took turns to wash off while the other cleaned out the foils and paper plates from the table and into a trash bag.

"Hey, thank you for treating me to dinner." Mikasa tilted her head at him as he stepped out of the bathroom, wringing his hands with a towel.

"Don't mention it." He shrugged before suddenly giving her a pointed stare. "No seriously, _don't_ mention it to _anyone_ , especially the guys. If they found out I splurged my cash, they'll hound me till Friday and I'll never hear the end of it."

She casted him a playful smirk, "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. But you did miss something though. It's a very crucial part of any dinner. I thought you and I have a mutual standing on that one."

Levi cocked a brow at her, setting the towel down back inside the bathroom. "And that would be?"

Mikasa plopped herself down on the loveseat comfortably, chin raised as she answered snootily, "Dessert."

"Dessert, huh?" The raven-haired bit back his smirk as he stole a secret glance at the mini fridge between the loveseat and the bookshelf. He strode towards her on the loveseat and sat himself down next to her, leaning over a bit. "If you'll let me, I can make up for my incompetent dearth."

She blinked down and her heart thumped as she was once again captured by his smoldering gaze. A shiver ran up her spine when Levi reached out and rubbed his thumb at the corner of her lips.

"There was a bit of cheese on your lips." He reasoned but Mikasa couldn't tell whether it was true or not.

It felt like being high on a drug. Her heart thumped heavily in her chest, and there was a heaviness in her mind that blocked all of her cognitive thinking. The corners of her vision started to get a little cloudy as she focused solely on his beady blue eyes. Her mind couldn't register anything else, not even her own body, except for the tingling sensations that ran along her skin like small electric currents. Her hair never felt so silky before until he ran his fingers over them, where he tangled themselves on the black locks as he cupped the side of her neck, and then to her nape.

All rational thought just left her mind like a bubble popping out of existence and she didn't know whether it was her or him who leaned in the small space between them. The feel of those soft lips at the corner of her lips sent a shiver up her spine, goosebumps ran along her arms as she felt that tender press on her skin again. Those same lips that she had been thinking about since their heated moment, those same lips that made her body burn with internal fire, those same lips that purred her name, and those same lips that made her feel beautiful as she remembered how delicately he worshipped her neck as if she was the most fragile thing in the world and not the troubled girl that she was.

So close. _So very close_. Just a slight turn of her head and she will granted his taste over her own lips.

Levi pulled away slowly, assessing her reaction at his bold move. When she gave him none but the hint of black fire in her eyes, he leaned in again. Pressing his lips a little more on the corner of her mouth and feel the _soft_ , _teasing_ , _temptation_ of her lips so near his. He kept it just like that, and they relished at the feel of it pressing over her tender skin for the longest time. Mikasa hadn't even realized that her eyes fell closed to further savor the contact between them.

Once he pulled away again, her eyes fluttered open but shut them close again as her mouth parted to release a sharp intake of breath. A stronger jolt of electricity wracked her spine as Levi pressed himself closer and his mouth dropped down to her neck as if it belonged there. Her heart fluttered at the familiar feel of his lips mapping out her skin, it was _sweet_ , _tender_ , and _careful_ ; but this time he was a bit _bolder_. The press of his lips over her chin, on her pulse, and then to her throat, were nothing compared to his feather light kisses from before.

She tilted her head back, his hand cupping the back of her head in support, and she felt a little ticklish at his hair over her chin as he showered kisses all along her throat. She was like putty in his ministrations and his other hand wasn't even doing anything as he used it to support his weight next to her so as to not fall with how he was awkwardly leaning over her.

" _Si belle…_ " Levi whispered between open-mouthed kisses, his hot breath warming the skin of her neck. " _Vous êtes si belle…_ "

Mikasa gasped when he gently sucked on her skin, feeling the sweet suction between his enclosed lips before slowly pulling away. A whimper fought to escape her as her body already missed his tender kisses. Her chest rose and fell with her softly panting breaths and Levi just held her like that with his one arm. She didn't even feel his other hand that reached one of her own until she felt the gentle caress of his thumb over her knuckles.

When she finally opened her eyes, she locked gazes with his own, and was instantly lost in the black hole of dilated pupils among the sea of cold blue.

"Levi?" she said his name tenderly. _Oh_ if only she knew how it made his spine _tingle_ just by saying his name.

"Go out with me." It wasn't a question, but it wasn't a demand either. "Go out on a date with me, Mikasa."

"A date…?" she parroted, her mind still hazy among the surge of hormones and magnetic attraction.

"I know that we didn't exactly started off with the right foot, and our relationship is already as awkward as it is, but I can't hold myself back anymore. If it's alright with you, I would like to get to know you better- even more than what you let yourself show."

As her mind registered the words he just said, all she could do was swallow an invisible lump in her throat. The hesitance was evident in her eyes but she could see the internal struggle Levi had with his own. She raised up her hand that wasn't being held by his and placed it over his chest, feeling his own beating heart under her palm as fingers played with the collar of his sweater.

"If I say yes… then I'm guessing that this will be a mutual prospect between us?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way." She sighed as he leaned over to press a chaste kiss on her throat. "I'll tell you what I can about me too."

"Ahh, I knew you buying me dinner was a trap." A small smile tugged at her lips, feeling a strange sort of comfort in their shared bubble.

Levi rolled his eyes, "I'd rather you think of it as an offering. Who knows? Maybe I'll buy you all your dinners from now on."

"That's a tempting offer. I hope you don't forget to add dessert next time."

"Oh I never forgot about it."

She cocked her brow at him as he let go, his fingers lingered along her arm as he reached out at the side of the loveseat. He opened his mini fridge and Mikasa's heart doubled over at the sight of the familiar logo over the box of undoubtedly her favorite treat in the world.

"You can ask later how I knew about it. By accepting these puddings, you shall hereby concede to accept my proposal of a promised rendezvous with no strings attached. As our first official date, all expenses shall be paid under my name, and I will only ask nothing but your full attention and your pleasurable company in return." Mikasa snorted, stifling back the giggle at his negotiating tone.

"You're asking me out on a date, Levi, not a business partnership." She let out a soft smile as her hand reached up to accept the cool box and placed it on her lap. "I accept your terms."

Ultimately, she gave him the shock of a lifetime when she leaned in and press a kiss at the corner of his lips.

 **SOAR (ṦO∆R)**

 **Saker Omni Delta Rho**

* * *

 **Si belle…: So beautiful…**

 **Vous êtes si belle…: You're so beautiful…**

 **Poor Eren might have a heart attack in the next chapter… maybe…**

 **Does anyone have an idea on what course Mikasa and Levi could be taking? Leave your ideas/suggestions in the reviews!**

 **I'm really having fun writing some steam. It's been a while since I wrote anything remotely sexual to actual smut. Please look forward to it!**

 **To those who have played Nier: Automata, am I the only one who sees 2B as Mikasa? Aside from them sharing a similar seiyuu, the resemblance is uncanny. Now if only 9S was like Levi… Oh it'll be like a white-haired version of our OTP! That would be so awesome! Hahaha! And yes, this is my excuse for the late update. I felt as if the game just ripped my heart out… AND THEN SMASHED IT INTO** _ **ITTY-BITTY LITTLE PIECES**_ **! That game was GOLD!**

 **I'm sorry I really planned to update earlier this week but I just couldn't stop playing Nier: Automata. I was too distracted and this chapter had to undergo a lot of revising and a whole chapter changes until I'm finally satisfied. It's a little hard to get their thoughts right without making them sound a bit OOC.**

 **I'm also planning to rewrite or just polish the previous chapters.**

 **Thank you all so much for your wonderful cooperation! Each and every one of you! I'll be looking forward to hear from you guys again!**

 **Ciao~!**


	17. Chapter 17

**By the time this chapter is uploaded, I have already revised Chapter 1 and made minor yet considerable changes so please do reread it if you like.**

* * *

It's only natural for the heart to pump faster than normal when running on a treadmill with a speed of 8.5, but when it is accompanied by butterflies fluttering around the stomach and the heart too? Well, it's anything but normal. Mikasa was well aware of that too. Especially when she's almost done with her routine and her adversary-turned-interest is still nowhere to be found. She knew Levi wouldn't be coming around today but it still didn't stop her from stealing glances at the equipment he usually uses and hope that he'd suddenly walk in through those doors. He texted her that he'll be helping his siblings move in to their apartment. It was also quite amusing when he said that he'll be going on an uphill battle cleaning the 3-bedroom apartment. She could practically feel his excitement in a strange Levi-esque unique way even through text.

Her breathing evened when she jammed her finger down at the panel to 6.0 to begin her cooldown. They separated on better terms since that night and hadn't seen much of each other since. Both of them had taken the opportunity to look into their renting apartments while their respective childhood siblings were still tying up loose ends on their requirements. But that didn't dabble the strange giddiness she felt whenever she remembered what happened. It was a surprising, yet welcome change. It had been a long time since someone asked her out on a date. Whether it was the breath of something new or that she was still surprised and amused at the sudden turn of events of their relationship, she wasn't sure- but she couldn't deny that the excitement was there. That, and the fact that she's been listening to her playlist of SoMo's songs lately.

The ravenette brought the speed down to a 4.0 when Annie stood in front of her. Her arms were crossed over her chest with a brow arched in full suspicion. Whatever the blonde was thinking- and going to say in the next five seconds, she knew it's going to be troublesome.

"Okay, spill it, Ackerman," With a hand on her hip, she stared down at her with that inquisitive look of hers.

"Spill what?" Mikasa panted, her movements slowing down.

"Something happened, didn't it?" she supplied in a heartbeat, "Is it Levi?"

To the normal eye, the majority would answer that the question did not faze the ravenette a single bit. However, to the trained eye like Annie's- especially to someone who knew what they're trying to look for, the slight falter in her steps was more than enough to affirm her suspicions.

"I _knew_ it," She smirked, utterly amused.

"I don't know what you're talking about," It was amazing how the words slipped out of her mouth so naturally but the reflexive answer only added fuel to the fire.

" _I don't know what you're talking about_ ," she mocked, eyes rolling at her futile attempt. Mikasa should know by now that something like that wouldn't work on her.

Blatantly sighing, Mikasa turned down the speed to a 1.0 till she was practically walking. She grabbed her towel to wipe the sweat off of her neck, face, and fringes, before taking a swig out of her electric blue energy drink from the treadmill's cup holder. "What brought this on?"

"Well, if you haven't been looking at a mirror lately, you've been looking like a sad puppy missing her master while they went out to work."

A part of her felt offended at the comparison- ( _though she preferred cats, puppies are just as adorable_ ) more to the term- master, another part of her felt embarrassed. Was she really that obvious or Annie's just being her observant self? With only the two of them at the gym (because the possibilities of hauling the other girls in their favorite establishment is an absolute zero), she doesn't have anyone else to compare her demise with.

"And what does Levi have to do with it?" she used to cringe just by thinking about him but now his name rolled off her tongue like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Annie started, bringing her hands up and lifting each finger each time she stated her evidences, "Well one- there's that incident back at the bar by yours truly who, might I add, acted more like a jealous boyfriend; second- you've been looking at his usual spot since we entered the gym; third- I saw you send him a text earlier before we left; and lastly- you've been listening to SoMo at the car."

"His songs _are_ very sexy."

" _I know_ , someone with a voice that can turn any music into a sex song shouldn't exist," Annie swooned along momentarily before cocking her hands onto her hips, "So what's the deal with your little love story? Pun intended by the way."

" _Gold_ ," She drawled, stopping the machine but stayed at her place as she kept herself hydrated. There's barely anyone at this time in the gym anyway. "Still little, but I wouldn't call it a love story… yet."

"Yet?" blonde eyebrows shot up at that, "So something did happen. But how come you aren't limping and I don't see any hickey?"

"Get your mind out of the gutter, princess," Mikasa shot back, knowing that the nickname could easily rile up the blonde, "You're spending too much time with Ymir."

Annie rolled her eyes, "I was just kidding. Besides, I may not be close to Levi but I know enough that he isn't really affectionate. At least, to his ex-girlfriends."

Black pearls flicked at sapphire ones, a silent question was released in the air when she cocked a brow at her.

"Ha! So she _is_ interested," Annie lifted her head up in triumph, "So, mind wanting to tell your dear old friend about it?"

An amused expression remained on Mikasa's face as she hopped down the mill and performed her cooldown stretches, "Dear friend- yes, but old friend? I've only known you for half a semester."

"And an entire lifetime more in our previous life. Besides, based from your expressions, you've been dying to tell someone about it, haven't you? Well, let me volunteer myself for once since you won't be relying on Sasha for a while. Remind me again why you aren't busy with the archer club with them?"

"Well aren't you a charity ball today," She tilted her head as she rolled her shoulders to the back and then to the front, "Something about only officers and old club members. There's gonna be a college tournament around February, I think. No offense if we beat the Titans though."

"And you're awfully chatty today," The blonde snorted, "None taken. The only ones I'm rooting for in the Titans are the women's volleyball team."

"Why haven't you tried to enter Trinity's team? Sasha told me that you have a spike that could blow someone's head off. I'd like to see that."

"Love the exaggeration. It's not that I don't want to, but daddy said I should focus ' _ironing out_ ' my permanent records," She said, following the ravenette back to the locker rooms to shower and change, "but that's not important and don't think you successfully strayed the subject cause I still wanna know what's going on with you two."

Mikasa let out an exasperated sigh. She was so sure she had diverged the topic already, "He asked me out."

" _He asked you out?_ " Annie parroted with incredulous eyes, "As in asked- _asked_ you out? Like on an actual date? Not one of those ' _no-its-not-a-date-but-it-really-is_ ' rendezvous like last time?"

"Yes."

"Oh, well, good for you then."

"You sound surprisingly disappointed."

"I wanted to see you guys kill each other," The blonde answered in a heartbeat before shrugging, "But they _did_ say that there's a fine line between love and hate."

The ravenette rolled her eyes, opting to ignore the love remark despite the flutter in her stomach- or maybe she was just hungry? Yep, definitely hungry.

"So where is he taking you this time?"

"I don't know. He said he wanted to get to know me better."

" _Better_? Wow, he must be really serious. I'd love to see what happens next after this."

With her back turned, Mikasa took off her sports bra, letting her full breasts bounce freely. Stuffing the sweaty fabric in her bag, she did the same for her shorts and panties before grabbing a towel and wrap herself around it. Just as she was about to close the locker and head for the showers, her cellphone buzzed with that it vibrated her locker. It buzzed twice before she took it and read that she just received a reply from Levi.

'Just because I care for my siblings doesn't mean I can let them slack off. They should be thankful I didn't let them clean the kitchen and bathrooms.'

Mikasa snorted, grabbing her phone to send a quick reply.

'Go easy on them, warden. I'll be checking on my inmates later after I do some shopping for our stuff. Hopefully, they've done their job while I'm gone.'

* * *

'You're a horrible governor, leaving your prisoners alone. I bet that's the reason Jaeger's cleaning capabilities is only second rate. Can't say about your other friend though.'

After clicking send, Levi pocketed his phone back in his pants before putting his gloves on and resume scrubbing the kitchen sink. He'll never rest until he can see a perfect reflection of himself in the white granite countertops.

Meanwhile Farlan nudged at his foster sister with his elbow. A mop was still in his hands as he pointed with his chin at their older brother's direction through the bar that separated the kitchen from the living room. Isabel, who had also been suspicious of the raven's actions since yesterday when they had dinner, looked back at her brother with lips slightly pouted in question.

The buzz from Levi's vibrated phone was heard again and for the fifth time since this morning and the twentieth time since last night- _yes, they counted_ , Levi ultimately stopped whatever he was doing, pulled out his gloves, and fished out his phone.

" _I bet he's gonna scrunch his nose again,_ " Isabel whispered, comfortably speaking in their native language when around each other, while Farlan shook his head, both their eyes never left the ravenette as he entered the passcode.

" _Nah, he's definitely gonna smirk this time._ "

The suspense became thicker by the second as they watched him read whatever message was displayed on his lit screen. Levi rolled his eyes.

" _Aww!_ " They threw their arms up in exasperation.

" _If you two have a lot of free time to spare watching me, haven't you considered that it would be better to waste it on cleaning your rooms?_ " Levi commented to his siblings, eyes and fingers not leaving his phone.

" _Well yeah, but we've already finished since five minutes ago,_ " Farlan argued, arms crossing over his chest with the mop wedged in one armpit.

The raven's fingers stopped typing at that. Years of living together and growing up in his strict rules of hygiene and cleanliness (much to their foster mother's delight) successfully trained Farlan and Isabel's meticulousness only second to his, so he trusted the two hadn't rusted even when they were separated.

" _We'll see,_ " He answered testily.

The blonde rolled his eyes at that. He left the mop to lean on the bathroom to be cleaned before going over to one of the bar stools at the living room's side and rest his arms over the newly scrubbed granite, " _If I don't know any better, I'd say you're_ _ **distracted**_ _, big bro._ "

Levi casted a glare at his brother but that only made his cheeky smirk wider, " _And what if I am?_ "

" _Ooh! Let me guess! Let me guess!_ " Isabel piped in cheerily, taking the bar stool next to Farlan after depositing her own equipment in the cleaning closet and the dirty rags in the bathroom, " _No! I_ _ **bet**_ _big bro's texting with his girlfriend, Mikasa!_ "

" _She's not my girlfriend._ "

" _Suuure,_ " she drawled, " _and that wasn't your picture together in your wallet._ "

He flinched at the remembrance. Not because he was caught red-handed, but because the photo still makes him cringe- what with all those mascot stickers and sparkly designs bordering the frame. It really didn't suit them but what else would they expect from a purikura photo booth? However his flinch didn't go unnoticed by his siblings and they seemed to have misunderstood his reaction as they bumped fists together and waved their fingers as they separated.

" _Seriously, you gotta stop lying to your family, big bro,_ " Farlan tutted.

Heaving a sigh, Levi pocketed his phone for the nth time before turning to his siblings and looked at their smirking faces with a pointed stare, " _I never lied to you guys._ "

That caught the two off-guard. The mirth on their faces slipped like washed-off paint when they realized the tone of Levi's voice. They knew their older brother would never lie to them, especially when their mother's present. But at that time, his tone was so adamant that it could easily be mistaken as a flustering denial- they love him, but who wouldn't want to jump into the opportunity to tease the usually unresponsive and blunt raven?

" _Wait, so you're saying…_ " Farlan wondered aloud, the rest of the sentence was left in the air but clearly understood.

Another sigh left Levi's lips as he wiped off the suds on the countertops with another towel, " _As I've told you many times already._ "

" _But I saw you two on a date!_ " Isabel tried to argue, palms smacking the bar with wide eyes in disbelief.

" _I did her a favor back then and she wanted to thank me. She said that she hasn't been in an amusement park for a while so we went there to just waste away the day. It wasn't a date,_ " Well, that wasn't the whole truth but it wasn't exactly a lie either. Of course, he didn't have to mention that he conned her into going to the seaside park with him. Even if he hadn't realized his real intentions back then.

" _But that's… that's…_ " Isabel's words hung unfinished. A childish pout graced her lips at his silent confirmation whereas Farlan kept his disappointment quiet.

And here they thought their big brother finally found someone he's interested in. Aside from the fact that the possibility only comes once in a million chances, they wanted to see him happy too. He's always focused his attention on them- their family- that he barely paid any attention with his own interests (aside from cleaning). Of course, they've heard about his occasional flings and dates (but _good lord_ , one of his exes didn't even last _a_ _week_!) and even though they knew they made him happy as a family, having a partner still brings a different sort of happiness. She doesn't have to be _The One_ right off the bat but at least…

" _So who're you texting with?_ " she asked finally, slumping down the bar in defeat- both in tone and posture.

" _Mikasa,_ " He answered and Farlan and Isabel nearly fell from their seats.

" _But you just said-!_ "

" _I said that she's not my girlfriend._ "

The brunette's mouth fell open, no words leaving like a gaping fish, " _I'm… I'm confused._ "

Levi left his siblings hanging as he finished up his work, and then nodding in satisfaction when his requirement was met. He moved swiftly and silently. With the living room and bathroom finished, and soon the kitchen, he'll have to unpack and ask Mikasa if she'll be available tomorrow-

" _Ohhh,_ " came Farlan's sing-song voice that made the corner of his eye twitch, " _I think, dear sister, that what big bro's trying to say, is that Mikasa is not his girlfriend…_ _ **yet**_ _._ "

His glare was unfortunately outshined by Isabel's lit up expression as if she had just won the lottery.

" _So what, you asked her out yet?_ " his blonde brows wiggled suggestively.

" _If she's available tomorrow, I'm taking her to Keseling._ "

Farlan's head bobbed slowly, eyes and mouth parting widely at his bold move, " _Oh wow, you must really like her."_

Levi stopped wiping the stainless steel spoon momentarily. Silence permeated in the air as his sibling's attentive gazes focused on him while he stared at nothing in particular. Until an amused snort passed him and a small smile tugged at his lips.

" _I think I have for a long time now._ "

The wistful look in his eyes sealed the deal and for the second time that morning, he left his siblings dumbfounded.

* * *

" _I knew I could count on you with the furniture, Armin,_ " Mikasa congratulated, setting down the bag of groceries on the kitchen island while overlooking her childhood friends in the living room. It's nice to be able to practice her German language again.

" _You know that organizing has always been my forte,_ " Armin raised his chin up in pride, " _And did you know that by placing the biggest chair against a wall makes you have a better sense of security than leaving it out in the middle of the room?_ "

" _No kidding,_ " she humored, letting him indulge in his Feng Shui that he's been hooked into since he started at the university.

Eren rolled his eyes, placing the other bags Mikasa left at the doorway that contained their toiletries at the bar counter, " _It's just furniture. You're lucky he didn't made you move these things 'three centimeters to the right' or hear him complain 'No Eren! No direct facing doors!'._ "

" _That's because it's going to create a tunnel effect for all energy! And the rest of the space will fail to benefit from any flowing qi or restful energy!_ " Arming argued, flushing.

" _Don't antagonize him, Eren. At least he's applying what he learned,_ " The ravenette reprimanded, grabbing a can of Coca-Cola and tossing it to the brunette, " _Here, for your hard work, you big baby._ "

Eren gave her a pointed look as he caught the can easily with one hand. Ever since they discovered his irrational fear of clowns, there had been a time that he was so overcome with paranoia that a white-and-red painted man wearing a brightly colored jester's costume would suddenly pop out of nowhere at eat his soul- thank you pennywise- to the point that he would literally wake up Mikasa just so he could go to the bathroom 'safely' at night. She had never let him live that down, " _I thought you said you'll always be on my side._ "

" _I said I'll always be on both your sides,_ " she pointed at him and Armin, this time holding up a can of Dr. Pepper in one hand and a Sprite with the other, " _but between you two, it depends on who's the victim and most of the time, the bully is you, Eren. Heads up, Armin._ "

She tossed the Dr. Pepper to him and the blonde fumbled with the can until he gripped it securely in his hands. Simultaneously, they popped opened the tabs and took a swig of their soda before letting out a generous breath. Except for Eren who followed it with an uncensored burp.

" _You're so gross, Eren,_ " Armin laughed and the brunette grinned back.

" _Thanks. So, what's the rest of the plan today?_ " he asked, staring up at Mikasa as he lazily draped his arm on the headrest of the chair he sat on.

Without looking up from her work, Mikasa busied herself with storing the contents of her grocery bags as well as taking out the necessary kitchenware from the cupboards and drawers, " _You guys are just gonna lay back and relax, watch some TV or set up the PS4 or Xbox One or whatever console you brought this time after taking a bath, and not bother me while I prepare dinner._ "

She announced, deeming it only fair since she made a deal with her boys that she'll just sort out her own room and leave the rest to them while she goes out and handle all of their shopping necessities.

" _Cool!_ " Eren cheered, jumping from his seat and gulping down the rest of his soda can. He let out another healthy burp that could make a Viking proud before making a beeline to his room and wash off.

Armin laughed and shook his head as he grabbed Eren's empty can and threw it properly in the bin, " _Actually he brought a Nintendo Switch this time, we're gonna go try out Mario Kart. You sure you don't need any help?_ "

" _Don't insult me, Armin,_ " she jested, making him chortle.

" _I guess I'll be out of your territory then. Is this one ours?_ " he pointed at one plastic bag, peeking inside to see the bottle of Eren's particular brand of men's shampoo.

" _Yeah. Oh and make sure Eren doesn't hog all the soap. I bought it in threes this time._ "

.

" _I'm stuffed!_ " Eren patted his slightly bulging stomach underneath his shirt in content, " _Thanks Mika._ "

" _Yes, dinner's amazing Mika. I really missed your cooking,_ " Armin added.

The ravenette nodded sagely, relishing their thanks and giving them a silent ' _you're welcome_ ' as she took another spoonful of her favorite pudding. It's been so long since she heard them call her with that nickname again. Eren was never really comfortable with saying it whenever the three of them aren't present. Her eyes went back to the news on the TV- much to Eren's displeasure. She had never been successful in convincing him how important it is to be aware of current events.

" _Hey! Why don't we go to that eatery we've always wanna try at downtown?_ " Eren suggested excitedly, green eyes wide at his clever idea.

She heard Armin agree beside her but when the question turned to her, it was then she realized that she had been biting her lip the entire time.

" _Mika?_ " Eren called.

" _I'm sorry but I can't make it tomorrow,_ " she started, biting her buccals this time, " _I have to be somewhere._ "

" _Why? Where are you going?_ "

" _I don't know, I'm meeting with someone._ "

Eren huffed a laugh, " _What, like a date?_ "

To his horror, however, she answered him in silence. A pang of guilt shot up her spine when she saw the mirth peel off of his face and be replaced with a suspicious, accusing one.

" _Who's the bastard?_ "

Okay, that was out of context. Mikasa shot him a glare, " _Does it matter?_ "

" _Of course not_ _ **unless it's you!**_ "

" _Oh boy, here we go,_ " Armin sunk back in his chair as his brain sifted through the many catalogues on how to break apart the adoptive siblings.

It's gonna be a long night.

* * *

Levi donned on his favorite duffle coat before hooking a blue key ring on his finger.

" _I'll be going now_ ," he announced, the keys clang against each other as he swirled them around his index finger.

Still pouting a bit at him for refusing them to meet Mikasa yet, Isabel turned her head to wish him luck, only to be interrupted by Farlan choking on the soda he was drinking. Levi's eyes narrowed at the messy spittle that coated the coffee table before sending a silent warning glare at his brother to clean it up.

" _So you were serious when you said you were borrowing my car?!_ " he bellowed, eyes wide in horror at his unperturbed expression.

" _Yes,_ " the ravenette quipped, rolling his eyes, " _it's not like I don't have a license to drive it anyway._ "

Farlan jutted his lower lip at that. He always forgot to work on getting a motorcycle license since he's so used to driving his car. Whereas Levi was gifted a Black Ducati upon his initiation at the fraternity, Farlan was given a dark blue Audi for making it in the top tier of freshmen at his university for his semester. Isabel, however, traded her chance of getting her own private vehicle for the more expensive materials for her art classes. He always wanted to try out the cool jet-black motorcycle that always looked brand new (thanks to Levi's prowess in taking care of things).

" _Fine,_ " he huffed, crossing his arms before his eyes widened in realization and his hands clasped together. Farlan pleaded, " _Please don't have sex in my car._ "

Levi's face twisted wryly in offense before snorting and turning on his heel, " _I won't be back till later._ "

" _Have fun, big bro!_ " Isabel waved giddily.

" _Later- and I mean it big bro! You guys better not have sex in my car or I swear I will mess up your bike!_ "

.

Mikasa had just buttoned her black superstretch trousers when a knock came to her bedroom.

" _Mika, can I come in?_ " came Armin's voice and she felt a wave of uneasiness roll off her shoulders.

" _Sure,_ " She answered before dropping down on her bed to pull up her black suede ankle booties.

The door swung open gently and Armin smiled at her outfit before teasingly lifting a brow, " _Since when did you get such stylish clothes?_ "

" _Since the last time I went shopping with my friends and they snuck these things in my bags while giving me a basic 101 lecture on what goes better with what in Uniqlo,_ " she sighed exasperatedly. Good thing she didn't have to pay for them herself.

The blonde let out a pleasant laugh, " _I'm glad you found yourself some good friends, Mika._ "

" _Me too,_ " she returned with a small smile of her own, " _Is there something you need?_ "

He took a deep breath, " _Well, I just want to say be careful and have fun. Don't worry about Eren, I'll keep an eye on him. He's much harder to care of than Salem._ "

Though he added the humor, it wasn't very effective to quell the twinge of irritation at the corner of her eye, " _I leave him in your hands then._ "

" _I'll also try to sort him out,_ " he offered, " _You have any idea why he's acting like that?_ "

" _I have an idea, but he's not telling me anything. Even Uncle Grisha wasn't this bad. It's not like I ever banned dating, Eren went out with that girl in high school and you didn't hear me bitching to him about it._ "

" _Well you_ did _questioned her…_ "

" _I was doing a background check,_ " she defended, crossing her arms over her chest, " _Either way, I didn't tell him to not date her but now Eren's just- he's being_ unreasonable _._ "

Armin nodded solemnly, " _True, and I think I know why he's acting the way he is._ "

Mikasa turned to him, her pointed look spoke in waves for him to tell her more but Armin knew better and just smiled. As if on cue, they heard the doorbell buzz outside the room and knew for sure that it was her date. Taking her gray Anna Field Hat hanging at the edge of the bed, he offered it to her with a smile, " _But now's not the time for that. Your date's here and you shouldn't keep him waiting. No make-up?_ "

" _ **No m**_ _ **ake-up**_ _,_ " she stressed, nose scrunching in disgust at the idea.

The blonde held his hands up in defense, " _Come on, at least put on some foundation or some lipstick- or er, lip gloss. Just a bit wouldn't kill you. You're going on a date, you should doll yourself up even just for a bit._ "

The ravenette found herself chewing on her bottom lip in an attempt to suppress the heat welling up her cheeks. The idea of dressing up for someone still felt surreal to her, " _It's just Levi._ "

" _Who happens to be your date,_ " he pointed out with a hint triumph and before she could stand, he wound his way in front of her and crouched a bit. Mikasa stared back in horror at the coated retractable brush coming towards her, " _Come on Mika, you might as well use Aunt Carla's makeup set she gave you on your birthday._ "

.

Mikasa felt a little self-conscious when she stepped outside of her room and made herself show at the entryway. All eyes were on her and she felt a little unnerved at the familiar, shameless gaze of Levi racking his eyes over her form.

"Ready to go?" he asked, ignoring the pointed look Eren sent his way.

Nodding, Mikasa set down Salem by the counter and touched noses with him before making her way towards them. She sent Eren a look to which the brunette returned with a look of his own before stepping aside to let her through.

"Nice talking to you, Eren, and-?" Levi tilted his head at Armin and the blonde smiled politely at him.

"Armin. Hope we could talk some time. Have fun you two!" Armin waved at the retreating couple. They nodded in return before closing the door behind them. Once the door clicked, he walked up to the silent brunette and patted him on the shoulder. Eren gave him an inquisitive look as the blonde nodded towards the living room, " _Let's talk, Eren._ "

.

"You have a car?" she gawked. When they stepped out of the apartment complex, her eyes roved over the street in search of his familiar black motorcycle only to find none. Her feet froze on the spot when Levi set off the alarm on his key ring and the blue Audi in front of them blinked.

"It's my brother's," he supplied. Mikasa secured her coat around her to protect herself more from the bitter cold only to find herself stopping in her tracks once again when Levi opened the passenger door for her. She blinked several times, wondering if by the next second, the door will suddenly close again and Levi's already at the driver's side of the car. It didn't. A black brow cocked at him as she felt a tug of amusement at the corner of her lips, "Well aren't you a gentleman?"

Levi rolled his eyes, "Just get in before you let the cold in."

Wasting no time to escape the winter cold, Mikasa slid in the car and nearly moaned when she felt the immediate heat waft around her that ultimately freed her from the chill. She felt herself sink into the comfortable leather-covered chair as Levi went around and took his spot behind the wheel.

"Why aren't you using your bike today?" she wondered.

"In this weather? I doubt the both of us would want to stay out in the open and catch ourselves some frost bites. Besides, this car has good heating, my bike doesn't."

"Point taken. So does your brother have a name?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Farlan Church," he answered. They fastened their seatbelts and Levi had just started the ignition of the car when the stereo automatically blared to life with the soft rumble of the engine.

 _[_ _ **…Take off those heels, lay on my bed, whisper dirty secrets while I'm pulling on your hair. Poison in our veins but we don't even care, candle's dripping on your body baby this ain't truth or dare…**_ ]

The heavy bass of the song boomed out of the speakers and made her ears feel as if it had a heartbeat of their own. Mikasa bit her lip, trying to not sing along the tune because the sane part of her told her that it was highly inappropriate to sing a sex song while alone in a car with a guy who literally made love to her neck a few days ago (Annie's right. It's a wonder he didn't leave any hickey).

"I forgot about that," she heard him growl as his fingers came up to pinch the bridge of his nose, "A sex song of all things… what a stupid cliché."

She cocked a brow at him, "Well at least I know your brother's got good taste."

"You listen to this crap?" he stared back at her as if he just smelt something bad.

Mikasa brought a hand up to her chest in mock hurt, "Don't you _dare_ sully SoMo's songs. I listen to them from time to time. I really like the beat of his music. Besides, if you knew it was going to play something automatically, you should've just turned off the stereo when you borrowed the car."

Levi scrunched his face up at her accusation, turning off the stereo much to Mikasa's displeasure before shifting into gear and drove them into the main road. "How do I know a sex song was next on the playlist? I was listening to Mon Ange earlier."

Her face whipped away from the window and onto him, "Mon Ange?"

"It's a song by Jana Lee. I doubt you've heard of it, it's in French."

Heart pounding in her chest, a secret smug smile graced her lips as she took a deep breath.

" _Donne moi moins d'attention, fais moi mal sans raison, trompe toi de prénom, mon ange soit mon demon-!_ " her body suddenly jerked when Levi stomped on the car's breaks, making it skid almost dangerously on the cold pavement that it left black tire tracks behind them. Miraculously, they didn't hit anything or anyone and the car stopped just before the front bumper could cross the pedestrian lane under the red stoplight. Heart pounding heavily on her chest, she loosened her hands on the sides of the chair she had unknowingly gripped earlier in reflex.

Swallowing, Mikasa felt herself sink back on her chair and finish the last lines of the chorus, " _Ne m'aime pas pour toujours, mon ange joue moi un tour, sois ma belle deception, oublie l'ange deviens mon demon._ "

There was an unreadable expression on Levi's face when she finally looked at him. Maybe she shouldn't have showed off?

"I tend to study extensively the things I find interesting. It's not like I'm an expert in French now, I just really like the song when I first heard it and I went out of my way to learn how to properly pronounce the words and learn the translation," she answered his silent question, heart thumping as she tucked a hair behind her ear in self-conscious.

The silence was unnerving and it didn't help that she could feel as if Levi was boring holes onto her with that stare of his. The uneasy moment only broke when the car behind them honked and they realized that the light turned green, and they were holding up the lane.

Levi raked a hand up over his hair and his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed before shifting into gear.

"Mikasa, I think you just stole my heart."

His sudden confession left her dumbfounded, but Levi chose to ignore her shocked gaze as they drove them to their destination. Her heart hammered even wildly in her chest with such giddiness she had never felt while her brain warred against it that it probably meant nothing- an act of denial on her part. Either way, it still didn't stop the heat from within her come up to the tips of her ears.

The rest of the car ride had been silent and both of them agreed on the comforting silence amidst the awkwardness that Levi's confession brought. Or was it just her? She wouldn't know. Mikasa couldn't bring herself to look at him without risking another awkward situation or embarrassing herself. Ergo she remained as she were, head leaned on the window and watch absentmindedly with tumultuous feelings people, buildings, and cars passing by.

She didn't know how long they were on the road exactly until Levi was backing up on an empty space between two cars. Never had she imagined that she would take more than five minutes sitting on her chair while the driver ensured that he was exactly within the middle of the lines. Levi looked ahead, at the back, on the rearview mirror on his side and hers, before finally nodding in satisfaction and unbuckling his seatbelt. Releasing an exaggerated sigh of relief she made sure he heard, Mikasa followed suit and they exited the car. Once out in the cold air again, Mikasa circled around to join him on the sidewalk. She wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or impressed at the perfect, symmetrical parking he made.

"I would've loved to be in the backseat while you did your driver's test," she mused aloud.

Levi looked at her with an unimpressed stare before double checking the lock and alarm, "I'm sure you would."

The ravenette cocked a brow at him before stuffing her cold hands in the pockets of her coat and follow him towards their destination. Mikasa marveled at her surroundings as they walked, for surely she hasn't been in this side of the city before. It had a well mix of towering buildings and residential areas- apartment buildings and condominiums- in a way that it doesn't feel suffocating, and the sidewalk was lined with fenced trees with some already decorated with Christmas lights- Mikasa suspected that they were near a park. Thin sheets of snow now covered the cold pavement as people around them wore thicker clothes, scarves, and coats of their own.

They crossed the street and Mikasa looked pass the dark green awning and read the sign and logo of ' _Keseling café_ '.

' _How original_.' She thought to herself but she supposed that this setting would be preferable.

A waiter by the entrance opened the door for them and welcomed them in and instantly, Mikasa's nose was overwhelmed- not by the scent of coffee beans as she expected- but by the familiar scent of freshly brewed tea leaves and honey. The place looked like any typical café, with a mix of singular chairs, sofas, coffee tables with magazines free to be read below, and a few booths by the walls. A ceiling fan rotated lazily as the heater did a surmountable job in keeping the place heated from the winter cold outside. The long, black counter at the back was manned by two baristas- there was still a coffee machine behind it but she felt a sort of giddiness at the rows of tea boxes on display and the familiar tea pots and china served on silver trays.

Her body followed automatically as they were led to a small booth situated at one corner of the café, giving them a nice view of the street through the barely frosted glass on one side and a view of the whole café on the other while also giving them additional privacy.

She took off her coat and folded it onto her side on the couch while Levi did the same. Too awed at the unfamiliar surroundings, she didn't notice the waiter turn and leave nor did he left them any menu.

"This is a nice place," she couldn't help but comment, the dim lighting and piano instrumental playing at a low volume only added to the atmosphere's relaxing effect.

"Yeah, too bad it's far from the campus, or else I would come to this place all the time," Levi answered before dropping his chin on the arm he propped his elbow on.

Mikasa's brow arched at him as she mimicked his posture, crossing her legs under the table before cupping her cheek, "Is that a hint of betrayal I hear? Nathan may be graduating but he's still my boss."

"Nice try," he snorted, meeting her teasing eyes with his unamused ones, "but he already knows about this place. Besides, his goal is to make a restaurant in the first place. Opening up a temporary café in the campus was only for experience purposes."

She already knew all that as she pursed her lips together, but determined to not let him have this round, Mikasa tilted her head a bit, "I apologize if we failed to meet your requirements, dear patron, would you like me to add more chocolate syrup on your Heaven's Delight next time?"

A teasing glint flashed in his eyes as he countered, "If you serve it to me while wearing a polar bear costume, I might leave you a tip."

Levi knew he won the small round when Mikasa's dark eyes flashed dangerously at him and her brows furrowed in disgust. She did not want to remember that embarrassing moment in her life no matter how big of a bonus her boss gave her after that advertisement stunt. The air of smug victory practically leaked around him and the brief tug at the corner of his lips only sealed the deal.

Silently huffing, Mikasa crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned back on the couch. Levi dropped his arm and instead folded them on the table as he sat up a bit straighter.

"Hey," he started, "I wanted to apologize, by the way."

"Apology not accepted."

"A win is a win and I'm still relishing that your ability to tease is as worse as a five-year-old's," he jabbed without a hint of mercy, "But that's not what I'm apologizing for."

Sensing the mirth disappear in his eyes, the ravenette turned her head at him and stared to silently prod him to continue.

"I'm sorry for what I did to you, when I… you know, after I picked you up at the bar… at the hallway," his stare didn't break from hers even though he was clearly uncomfortable.

The feeling of her gut clenching was instantaneous as well as the pounding beat of her heart. Her back shot straight up like a bowstring, her shoulders tensed, and her warm body felt even hotter. She didn't have the mind to care if he saw her face flush red because her mind completely fogged out, nor did she even notice how hard she bit her lower lip and her fingers clenched the long sleeves of her gray slouch sweater as every nerve ending in her skin made her remember the butterfly kisses running up the side of her neck.

Levi made a sound in his throat, effectively snapping from her trance and earning her attention. She blinked, casting her eyes to one side but not moving her head.

"Do you have to bring that up?" she whispered as she chewed on her bottom lip.

"Yes," came his immediate reply, "I wasn't thinking straight at that time, but I won't make excuses. It doesn't change the fact that I disrespected you, no matter how sexy you were that night, I still shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

Her mind reeled back at that, teeth letting go of her lip to part slightly and her eyes widening a bit more than usual. Was it because the Levi- just called her sexy? Was it the realization that he was actually capable of apologizing? She had heard him apologize before but not so sincere like… this. Whatever it was, her mind was taking its damn time trying to wrap around the thought that Levi actually has a gentlemanly side.

"Are you _really_ Levi Ackerman?" her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

He rolled his eyes, "I know it's easier to think that I've been abducted by aliens and I'm actually a lizardman in one of those bullshit conspiracy theories, but as shitty as I am, I _know_ and _can_ admit if I've done something wrong. And I'm not ashamed to apologize for it."

She bit the insides of her cheek, feeling exceptionally uneasy, "You didn't apologize when I tried to return your jacket to you."

"Why would I apologize for that?" he crossed her arms, leaning back on the backrest of his couch, "You really didn't washed it properly. I still need it back though, I'll give you time until the frat's homecoming."

" _Oh halleluiah_ , how considerate of you," she glared, voice dripping with sarcasm, "What about when you embarrassed me in front of my class? Why were you even there anyway?"

He hummed at the recollection, "My class got canceled during that time and I always sit in that professor's class whenever I can. I merely pointed what you missed in the equation. It's not my fault you couldn't accept _your_ fault."

Mikasa's mouth parted at his audacity. Thinking back on it, he was right. But during that time, just the mere sight of him pisses her off, "And what about when you… when you treated me to dinner the other night?"

Levi blinked, folding his arms at the table again, "I won't apologize for that either."

"Why not?"

"Because unlike at the hallway, I was thinking straight at that time," he leaned in, beady electric blue eyes glinting more in his intense gaze, "But there wasn't really any cheese on your lips, so… sorry."

"But that wasn't mutual."

" _Wasn't mutual_?" he parroted, one eyebrow arching, "Then why did you kiss me back?"

That sentence was so open to many interpretations and scenarios and it didn't help her case when the waiter returned to them and sent her a look before setting up their table. Her baffled mind was only momentarily interrupted when her gaze fell on the three-layered cake stand- cut sandwiches littered the bottom, mini-cupcakes and tarts at the middle, and _oh god_ \- does her eyes deceive her? Is that really a custard pudding at the top? All of which are divided evenly facing each other's side, guided evenly by the stand's two flat colors- Levi's side was colored white while hers was black.

"Your request is complete, sir?" the waiter asked, setting the glass tea set on both their sides and leaving the teapot at the center. Black leaves suspended atop the honey-colored water that could be clearly seen through the transparent glass, complete with an infuser and candle-powered heater.

"Yes, thank you," Levi nodded and the waiter took his leave. He then turned to Mikasa who has been eyeing the pudding lustfully, "Let's play a game."

She snapped from her stupor, swallowing an invisible lump to somewhat calm her uneasiness, "A game?"

"Seeing our penchant for creating awkward moments, I doubt the normal exchange of what, when, where, who, and how's are going to be effective for the purpose of this date. You mentioned earlier that you tend to study extensively the things you find interesting. Well, so do I."

"You think I'm interested in you?"

"Then riddle me why you agreed to go on this date when you have every right to refuse?"

Pressing her lips together, she mulled over the right words, "It was… curiosity."

"Which borderlines interest."

"Fine," she heaved out a sigh and reached out for one of the strawberry tarts, "What kind of game do you have in mind?"

Levi, however, swatted her incoming hand away from the treat with the back of his teaspoon like a mother would to a begging child at a toy store. Mikasa pulled her hand back in surprise, mouth twisting into a pout. He then proceeded to grab a packet of wet wipes and offered some to her to which she begrudgingly accepted.

He let out a snort in amusement, as he wiped his hands, "It's a guessing game. We knew each other for months but we haven't really _known_ each other. Based on our impressions and interactions I'll try and guess something about you, I trust that you'll be honest, and for every misconception we make, we earn a right to take a bite off the treats from the other's share. We can ask questions for further details along the way."

Mikasa hummed thoughtfully. She's not really a fan of games but she does have a knack of puzzle solving. She gotta admit this is quite an unusual way of getting to know someone. Head tilting a bit to the side, she said, "I think I get the gist of it. It's evil, I kind of like it. But what about the tea? And what if I get to say an entire impression without making any mistake?"

"I doubt that, but if that ever happens, the other can give their treat to the other. Fair enough? As for the tea, it's free. Oh and we'll start from the bottom plate up."

"Alright then, I accept your terms," she sat up, and with a practiced hand, lifted the glass teapot from the heater and poured her own transparent cup with the honey-colored liquid and his.

" _Très bien_ ," he nodded. The inquisitive expression on her face didn't go unmissed with the way he held the cup by the rim, inhaling the sweet scent before taking a sip, "Let's start with the basics then, you're what? Twenty-three this year?"

A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she claimed her first victory, taking a bite out of a tuna sandwich on his side of the stand, "I'll be turning twenty-one _next year_."

"Ahh."

"And you are… the same age I am?" she blinked when he reached for one of her sandwiches.

"I'm actually turning twenty-five this year."

"That's… unexpected," she commented slowly before cupping her hands over her tea. But it does make a bit of sense. Levi does act older than what he seems, and colleges don't really care how old their students are as long as they have a High School diploma. "I thought you'd be older, say… thirty?"

"That'd be Erwin, he's actually taking his second course this time," he snorted, "Sorry to disappoint."

"Why _is_ that?" she implied his late age.

Levi takes another sip of his tea before leaning back, "I wasn't exactly given the luxury to start school at a proper time, if not at all. When I did, I had to plough my way through to grant a few accelerations during elementary just to get me in the standard age level. I'm still a year ahead of my siblings even though we're born in the same year."

"That explains it," she nodded sagely, "I guess it's my turn then. Can I go for an attack?"

"Please do."

She crossed her arms, "You're five foot three, your blood type is… I'm guessing B? Your name is in Hebrew which means ' _attached_ ' or ' _joining_ ', you lived with your foster family in Paris for at least ten to eleven years and from what I could deduct from what you said earlier, your birthday is happening later this December- you're a Capricorn."

"Why am I not surprised you got my height right?" Beady blue eyes rolled as he took two more bites from her sandwich, "You obviously did your research, my blood type is actually A, but I didn't think you would get the meaning of my name though."

"I have three bloodlines running through my veins, might as well learn a bit from the others," she shrugged her shoulders, "So when's your birthday exactly?"

His face twisted that resembled a disgusted snarl before blithely answering her question. They did agree to be honest after all. "They say it's the most magical time of the year."

Mikasa blinked, once- twice- until her mouth slightly parted and then suddenly clamping shut. Her hands shot up to her mouth to help stifle her laughter but not before coughing out a, "Jesus Christ."

As amusing as it was to watch her face become red and her shoulders shake with barely controlled laughter, Levi's brows scrunched up with a glare that could kill even though he knew that it wouldn't work on someone like her, his silent message that dared her to laugh was delivered very clearly.

"Typical," he spat.

She moved her hand away a bit, showing him how her lips were making great effort to not let out a Cheshire grin, "Should I start calling you _messiah_ now?"

She couldn't help but blurt out before biting hard on her bottom lip. _It's just pure gold! Oh how the irony!_

"Go on, laugh, I know you want to," his scowl deepened as he leaned in.

"As much as I want to, I'd save you the embarrassment, _rabbi_ ," her jaws tensed as she breathed down her calmness but the smirk on her face didn't let up.

"Thank you, my child."

"Oh stop it," she couldn't help let out a short chortle as she kicked him playfully underneath the table, "I could barely hold myself."

Her hands reached for the teapot, refilling her cup as a distraction. A pleased smile still remained on her face as she inhaled the sweet scent of her tea and letting the warm steam heat her face and relax her nerves. The time elapsed brought about a comforting silence as Levi drank from his own tea with that weird way he handled his cup while he watched people pass by through the glass outside the café. Even though the mirth was still gracing her lips, the atmosphere felt more pleasant than anything.

"Okay, I'm done," she exhaled relaxedly, "Your turn."

His eyes flicked at her direction, taking his casual time before coming off an attack of his own, "You're five foot seven, your blood type is O, I'm taking a wild guess here but I think you're born in March- an Aries, your name means ' _three bamboo hats_ ', I don't know anything about your real family but you mentioned that you were adopted by the Jaeger family- Eren is like a brother to you and you probably see Armin the same way. I take it that you've been with them for as long as I have with my own family."

He didn't miss the way her jaws tightened at the mention of her true family but Levi decided to not comment on it, remembering that time when she was sick and she mentioned that both her parents died when she was young. He didn't need to learn everything about her right off the bat, especially on a subject that's obviously sensitive. Even he has a few skeletons in his closet.

Mikasa reached finished off his sandwich in three healthy bites, "My blood type's actually AB, my birthday is on February 10- I'm an Aquarius, you got the translation of my name right but I'm actually named after a pre-dreadnought battleship from the Imperial Japanese Navy- don't ask, it was my dad's idea. You were right about the Jaeger's though."

"Well aren't you a royalty. I'd like to know how you got into the Jaeger's though. A Japanese and German family isn't exactly the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to family relatives," when he spotted her reluctance he supplied, "You already know how I got into a foster home after all."

She pursed her lips together before answering, "Point taken. My dad and Eren's dad were actually war brothers. They met in the army. My dad was in the frontlines while Uncle Grisha was a medic. Our families became close since after their service, so you could say I've known Eren long before they adopted me. After my parents… passed away, they took me in."

"Don't you have any closer relatives for that?"

She didn't answer, and he couldn't quite tell if her silence was a bitter yes or no. Levi opted to make a sharp turn for a change of subject but for propriety's sake, he asked carefully, "Is it too sensitive?"

"Very sensitive."

"Let's kick it up a notch then," he pointed at the tarts and mini-cupcakes on the middle layer. Fortunately it took her mind off of the sensitive subject before they could succumb to more awkwardness. "I don't think you're the type that clings to your phone as if your life depends on it like millennials nowadays, but if I have to guess what's in your photo gallery, I would find a third of them composed of your family and friends- some might even be just stolen shots or forced selfies with others but never a selfie of your own. The rest would be pictures of Salem dating back since he was a kitten."

Her mouth flapped like a gaping fish, "How- you said you never looked into my phone."

"I told you I don't know your passcode. Honestly that was just a wild guess, but then again you aren't like most of the girls I met," he propped his chin on his palm. A hint of smugness glinted on his eyes, "Tell me how accurate I am."

Begrudgingly, Mikasa reached for a tart from her side and then balanced it on top of his pile.

"Whoopie," he said dryly but the brief tug on his lips said otherwise, "So you seriously only have your cat's pictures on your phone?"

"If you don't remember, Salem's the most photogenic out of the three of us when we took that purikura photo."

Levi winced, "Don't remind me. I guess there is a reason why cats are more viral than humans in the internet."

"Very true, my turn," she quipped, eager for her revenge, "I'm guessing that your phone's not attached to your hip either but I can't really guess what's in there. So I'm thinking that you're the type of guy who likes classical music- instrumentals more like, I'd shave my head if you actually like pop and RnB songs, much less love songs. But I think you don't discriminate what language the music is as long as it suits your taste, even though you don't understand it."

Her brows raised when he reached a hand towards the stand, only to reach for a mini-cupcake on her side and take a bite. She would've groaned if not for the streak of white frosting left on his upper lip, making him look like he had a white mustache. Her stomach fluttered again when the tip of his tongue peeked out and tasted the frosting from the corner of his lips before he wiped it off with a tissue.

"Close," he started, "I do enjoy instrumentals, mostly the violin and piano. We have a vintage piano at home and my foster mother play it all the time. But I beg to differ on the love songs though, because Jazz _is_ my love song as well as my sex song."

Mikasa couldn't quite explain it but the way Levi said sex made her rub her thighs reflexively.

"Well I can't argue with that. The saxophone is the sexiest instrument that ever existed."

"And here I thought you actually like your songs to have lyrics on them."

She shot him a look, "I actually like orchestral music. I just tend to indulge on modern music from time to time. I'm a big fan of both the EXILE Tribe and Yiruma so I guess I'm right in the middle. No offense to metal though, I could never understand the appeal in someone shouting no matter how many times Eren made me listen to it."

"Agreed. What's EXILE Tribe?" he inquired.

"It's a Japanese supergroup. They have really great songs and I went to their concert during the summer when I went back home."

"I shouldn't have asked. Please don't start getting all fangirl-y on me now. I might not be able to save you from the stigma."

Her mouth quirked up in amusement, "Relax, I doubt I would get that corrupted."

"See that you don't."

"You know, I never really pegged you as someone with a sweet tooth. I thought you'd prefer your food spicy or sour and then leave off the dessert."

"A common misconception," he nodded sagely, "I actually have a low tolerance in spicy food which is ironic since I never get drunk. Sweets are a delicacy of the gods for me since when I was a kid in the slums, I only have enough to feed myself to last the next three days. So when I finally have the chance to grant my longtime wish, I bought a Cadbury in the nearest store. It was one of the happiest moments of my life."

Mikasa couldn't hold back her grin as she imagined a young Levi looking so heavenly while he ate a bar of chocolate. She tried to ignore the uneasiness she felt on how easy Levi could share his past. She knew he grew up in the slums for the first few years of his life- he told her that himself- and no doubt there are still some things he's not willing to share but the fact that he could share bits of his dark past while she couldn't even bring herself to utter her parents' names made her feel-

Envious.

Nonetheless, she looked up to lock gazes with his as her fingers played idly at her warm cup of tea, "I never thought we would actually have a lot of things in common. I'm glad we had this talk."

Something in his gaze softened that made her feel as if she was pulled into his eyes. she didn't even see his lips move when he said, "Me too."

.

They could've stayed longer in the café- maybe until it closed. Their game eventually dissipated into casual conversations, with bouts of banter and trivia thrown into the mix along with a few teasing and dare she say it- flirting? She wouldn't know, she hadn't actually flirted with anyone before and it didn't seem like the time she often watched on movies.

As Levi promised, he paid for their food and requested to bring home the left-over cakes. When she asked how much it cost him, he just shrugged her off and led them back to his brother's car. However instead of taking her back to her apartment, Levi drove them through the highway where the buildings thinned out and replaced with trees and nothing but open road. When she asked where he's taking them, he just answered "You'll see." and Mikasa was too high in bliss at how satisfying their date had been going to be suspicious.

Eventually, he strayed off the main road and into a smaller road that led into a forest. When they passed by an empty drive-in theater and she spotted the open space near a cliff, her heart thumped wildly at the realization.

"Levi?" her query came off more as a question than a warning as she swallowed.

"Relax, Mikasa," she nearly jumped when he reached down between them and felt his warmer hand over hers, his thumb caressed her knuckles soothingly, "Trust me."

Giving him a meek nod, she nearly missed when he pulled away and they both exited the car. He led her at a spot by the metal barrier.

"Just watch," he pointed at the view below.

It was as expected from a view atop a cliff. Given, it was scenic, but she supposed that the backdrop sunset city view was as beautiful as it came. She had to suppress a chuckle at the thought of Levi actually being romantic.

"It's beautiful," she said, tucking her hands under her armpits to protect her from the gust of cold wind that blew her hair.

"It is, but don't comment on it now," she glanced at him and saw him check his watch before nodding his head back at the view, "It's almost time."

When she whipped her head back and her breath hitched.

"Oh wow," Mikasa gaped.

It was as if the night sky swallowed the orange sunset, and then replace it with its thick, dark blanket of celestial bodies that twinkled brightly in the sky. The city below didn't held back either. As soon as the sun disappeared it was like the entire city burst into lights that complemented the endless stars above.

"I thought that I'd only see a transition like this on my grandfather's estate," she slipped unknowingly, too awed and enraptured at the scene before her. However her slip earned her a look from Levi but he decided not to comment on it.

He didn't look back on the view either.

As majestic as it has been when he and his siblings found this place during one of their road trips, he was looking at something far more magical.

"The news said that it would be a cloudless sky tonight," he started, phone tucked back in his pocket and nodded at the view, "We won't be seeing it like this again since the snow will start falling soon. I thought it would be a good way to end our first date. Hopefully it would leave a good impression."

She blinked at him, "Are you following your own dating advice?"

"Did it work?"

Arms tucked below her breasts, she took a step forward and lightly bumped her shoulder with his as the corner of her lips twerked up, "I guess it wasn't as shitty as I thought it'd be."

He snorted, recognizing her same words and gesture during that time at the seaside park.

"And here I thought you actually took me here to makeout with you," she said testily.

Levi raised a brow at her and took a bold step closer, "Did you now?"

She shrugged, "Don't blame me for getting that impression."

"Fun fact, aside from my sister, I never took any other girl here besides you."

"Not even your ex-girlfriends?" she wondered. Honesty has been the main policy between them since she agreed to this date. She doubts he's sugarcoating his words now.

He shook his head, "They were never really worth a salt. As offensive as it sounds, I never took my past relationships seriously. Besides, I doubt I could give you a mind-blowing makeout. It's been a while for me."

Mikasa swallowed, tucking a hair behind her ear as she stared at her feet sheepishly, "You're not the only one. Well, I doubt I could give a kiss _'worth your salt'_ anyway."

She felt his eyes on her and knew that he understood her implication.

"No kidding." He said incredulously.

She shook her head, "I knocked out a tooth out of the last guy who tried, and threatened to skin his face off."

His feet came into view in front of her and she could feel his warm puffs of breath by the bare skin of her cheek. "So you've never?"

Mikasa shook her head no and looked up to meet his gaze, "Never."

She had time to protest- but actually she didn't found the heart to, as Levi's fingers combed up her head, to the back of her head, and pulled her in and let her lips lightly meet with his.

It wasn't like an explosion of fireworks or an instant jolt of electricity like what was described in romantic novels. But she did feel lightheaded, and her heart did pound wildly in her chest like beating drums. She hadn't even realized she had closed her eyes until she pulled away and her gaze fell to the side, not wanting to see the look on his face at the brief moment they touched each other's lips.

"That wasn't consensual," she whispered, fingers trailing her bottom lip lightly and tingling at the feel of small sparks at the briefest contact. His hand was still in her hair and her ears felt as if they were burning.

"Should I apologize?" he whispered back, voice deeper and huskier than before.

She swallowed and she answered him by grasping his coat by his shoulder and dove her head back down to his to which he received without a moment's hesitation. This one… this _kiss_ … felt very different than the first. Their lips were pressed harder, deeper, but not enough that it hurt. Her other hand found its way up his chest, over his shoulder, and around his neck where her fingers laced at his nape, unsure whether to pull him closer or not. His other hand however, did not remain idle, and she felt her breath hitch when he snaked his way into her coat, palm pressing on her flat stomach, around her waist, at the small of her back, until his arm eventually wrapped around her lithe waist.

It was obvious who was the more experienced between the two of them as Levi tilted his head, coaxing her to do the same until they met at an angle that perfectly molded their lips together. He rewarded her with a caress of his fingers onto her scalp and she made a sound at the back of her throat in return. One of her hands parted from his nape, and she felt her breath hitch again when Levi released a groan that she felt from their connected lips; as she trailed her fingertips at the prickly hairs of his undercut, until her own fingers tangled with his black locks.

They parted only briefly, feeling each other's hot breaths against the other's oddly cold yet heated cheeks. Mikasa only had a second whether to wonder if the piney, winter smell was from the forest around them or from the person holding her so intimately, before they kissed again. Was it because it was her first kiss? Was it because it was consensual? Was it because she finally felt those soft lips that graced her neck a few days ago on her own? Whatever the case, it felt-

Exhilarating.

It felt like she was breathing in something new, something undeniably pleasant. This time her toes actually curled in her boots, and she didn't know whether to be grateful or annoyed that she couldn't do so properly. Her mind ultimately fogged out when she felt a careful suction on her bottom lip, letting out a mixture of a moan and sigh. She didn't know if what she was doing was right, too absentminded and high on the euphoria as she instinctively captured his upper lip. He let out another breath that she felt over her cheeks, feeling his shoulders sag until he did the same with her lower lip.

Levi didn't rush her, and at the back of her fogged mind she appreciated that. He didn't push her, didn't coax her mouth to open with his tongue- in fact she didn't even feel the muscle- only his soft, oh so soft lips. The moment would've been ruined and she would've really punched his lights out if he did. So she relished her first kiss with the man she never expected to be. Out at the edge of town, surrounded by trees, in total darkness except for the beautiful city light view below the cliff, with the moon and stars as their only witness; and doing nothing but breathe in and share each other's warmth in the cold winter air.

Whether he planned for this to happen or not didn't matter, in the end a makeout point still upholds its name.

They parted with an exhale of breath when they heard the faint sound of a police car in the distance despite their absent minds. Mikasa panted slowly and so did Levi, and as if they heard each other's thoughts, they neared their heads together. Not to kiss, but only to touch each other's foreheads.

.

The car ride home was spent in comfortable silence. In their minds, whatever happened from that point on, they knew that nothing would ever be the same. Was it too soon? She has yet to know more about him despite their sharing earlier. It didn't involve tongue so was it considered a makeout? Is it common for couples to kiss during the first date? Mikasa wouldn't know, nor was she at the right state of mind to care. She was still too high with her bliss and the spine-tingling sensation whenever her thoughts wandered back to their kiss. It also didn't help that Levi would reach out and hold her hand whenever he's not shifting the gear lever. She couldn't find it in herself to fully toss the blame on her heated chair at how it made her feel as if she was melting.

"This is me," She announced, stopping in front of the door of her shared apartment with her childhood friends. She fiddled with the sleeve of her coat, "I- uh- thanks for today. I had a great time."

"Me too," he answered. Another awkward moment passed them as Mikasa shifted her weight on one foot to another. Levi cleared his throat, "Would you… like go out with me again sometime?"

She whipped her head at him, almost excitedly, "What do you have in mind?"

"Nothing special," he shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe a movie? I doubt you would like those shitty Christmas movies they're playing at the theater at this time of year. Have you ever watched The Godfather?"

"I never actually got the chance to finish it. Eren and Armin aren't exactly a fan of those types of movies."

"Good. I'll just call you on a date then."

Mikasa let out a small smile, "Now that's an offer I can't refuse."

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips and she didn't miss it.

"Goodnight, Mikasa."

She made a bold move by taking a step closer and press a chaste kiss on his cheek.

"Goodnight, Levi."

When Mikasa entered the apartment, she felt the giddiness she had been deprived of come rushing towards her in waves. Too high on her euphoria, she didn't even bother to check on Eren and Armin, nor did she remember changing into her bed clothes and snuggle under the comforter of her bed before falling into the most blissful sleep she ever had in ages.

 **SOAR (ṦO∆R)**

 **Saker Omikron Delta Rho**

* * *

 **DONE AND DONE! JUST LIKE THAT!**

 **Anybody here also a fan of SoMo?**

 **It turns out this chapter became longer than expected and I had half-a-heart to actually divide their date into two chapters again. But then I thought I shouldn't be that cruel. Though I guess I'll have to apologize for not lengthening their conversations more and only threw in some facts you may have already known. If I tossed everything in that pile then there won't be no more room for them to learn from one another except for their dark pasts.**

 **I don't know about you guys but that's pretty much how my first kiss went (EXCLUDING the not/makeout part of course).**

 **SHOUTOUTS TO:**

' **zweiq': Thank you for noticing and here I left a tidbit of information about Mikasa's Japanese contacts.**

' **RoxeKun': Wait… are you the SAME roxe-kun, the one on tumblr?! If you are, someone actually recommended me to check in your page for LeviMikaX9S2B fanart and I've been checking it out from time to time. You're awesome! Sorry I don't have a tumblr account. You guys would probably think I live in a cave because I don't actually know what's going on with that website… ;^;**

 **I mentioned many references in this chapter so for propriety's sake (even though we all know this already), these references belong to their respective artists and I have no claim among any of them.**

 **Also, I'd like to recommend where I got the 'Keseling café' name, it's actually from a movie called 'Lust, Caution'. A Chinese thriller movie that I saw on 'elvendashears' post on tumblr and I've been HOOOKED. Upon watching it twice, I could see how much the movie could be like a LeviMika story. Either way it's a good movie so do check it out but please be warned that it's a NC-17 movie so expect some graphic smut.**

 **Anyway, I purposely made this chapter long because by the time I posted this chapter, my first day of another semester in college is literally tomorrow so you won't be hearing from me for a good few weeks… or months… again for now.**

 **LASTLY, PLEASE LEAVE A SUGGESTION OR OPINION ON WHEN, WHERE, (and sure why not?) HOW LEVIMIKA WOULD HAVE THEIR FIRST TIME TOGETHER. I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS AND I WILL CONSIDER ALL YOUR SUGGESTIONS SO DON'T BE SHY!**

 **I'll hear from you guys again next time so stay safe and remember that you're all awesome!**

 **Ciao~!**


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